Imaging thermography in the 3–5μm wavelength range is applied to the analysis of thermal properties of high-power diode lasers. We investigate these devices by inspecting their front facets as well as their active regions along the resonator. The latter is done through top windows within the substrate. Raw data are found to be mostly interfered by thermal radiation traveling through the substrate, which is transparent for infrared light. Substracting this contribution and recalibration allows for obtaining realistic temperature profiles along laser structures. Facet heating is analyzed complementary by micro-Raman spectroscopy. We show how hot spots at the front facet, in the substrate, or even in the active region within the substrate are discovered. Our approach paves the way for an advanced methodology of device screening.

For evaluation of the possibilities and potentials of multispectral infrared imaging a filter wheel camera system was developed. The camera is designed for high speed operation permitting acquisition of subsequent MWIR spectral images in short time. Potential applications of a multispectral camera are temperature measurement, gas and fire visualisation. Some experiments were performed to validate the applicability of the camera system.

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Recent developments in infrared camera technology, testing methods and data processing algorithms have brought significant progress for high resolution spatial and temporal analysis of thermal radiation. Together with industry standard automation technology and specific infrared image data processing it became possible to non destructively inspect laser welded seams and other types of joints using heat flux analysis subsequent to active thermal excitation. High thermal diffusion coefficients of the usually metallic samples under test make the availability of high-speed infrared cameras as a key hardware component indispensable. Since high-speed infrared cameras with frame rates of at least 500 Hz have become available for commercial applications, non-destructive testing systems with a new class of performance were designed, manufactured, and implemented at industrial sites. Heat flux analysis as a new and robust method of non-destructive testing has been implemented for various types of equipment, ranging from off-line tools for laboratory use to automated robot based systems enabling fast and operator-free in-line inspection. Depending on environment, implementation surroundings, and geometry of objects to be inspected, different types of pulsed or continuous operating heat sources (e.g. flash light, laser, … ) are selected. Due to its outstanding industrial relevance some examples of non-destructive testing of laser welded seams in automobile manufacturing are shown.

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