SL2002 Laser Driver IC : Specifications, Architecture, Working & Its Applications

Silanna Semiconductor introduced the SL2002 laser driver IC on June 19, 2025. It is part of the FirePower family of Silanna Semiconductor. This laser driver IC is designed particularly to support the development of cost-effective, compact, measurement, and battery-powered range-finding systems. Marking the next main product in this series, the SL2002 IC is specially engineered for low-voltage operation within compact systems to deliver outstanding laser performance powered through a typical 3V battery. Thus, this development redefines industry expectations for integration, efficiency & output in energy and space applications. This article elaborates on the SL2002 laser driver IC, its working, and its applications.

What is the SL2002 Laser Driver IC ?

The SL2002 is a laser driver IC from Silanna Semiconductor’s FirePower™ series, available in a 3.5 mm², 14-pin compact WLCSP package. This IC is optimized for low-voltage operation within small-form-factor systems by enabling operation on a typical 3V battery supply.

The laser driver IC merges high-current laser diode firing and resonant capacitor charging on a single chip. Thus, the SL2002 IC generates light pulses beyond 1,000-W peak power. In addition, this IC can also deliver 86% of a Vin-to-laser efficiency. The SL2002 IC was developed to enable the creation of low-cost, compact battery-powered range measurement and finding systems.

Specifications

The specifications of the SL2002 laser driver IC include the following.

• SL2002 is a laser driver IC.
• This IC is available in a 14-pin compact WLCSP package.
• It directly works from a typical 3V battery without outside boost circuitry.
• It incorporates high-current laser firing and resonant-capacitor charging within a single chip.
• This IC delivers above 1,000 watts of peak laser pulse power.
• It attains 86% input-to-laser efficiency.
• It decreases the bill of materials by removing external discrete components
• Reduces PCB footprint & shortens overall system design
• Accessible with a complete evaluation kit for quick development

SL2002 Laser Driver IC Architecture

The SL2002 laser driver IC architecture components mainly comprise a constant current source, next to a laser diode mount & ESD protection. This IC uses a single WLCSP chip to produce high-power light pulses, reducing the requirement for external components. In addition, SL2002 IC can also include integrated controls & a modulation input.

A 2002 laser driver IC integrates a resonant capacitor charging & high-current laser diode firing onto a chip. Thus, it reduces the need for a variety of external discrete components, which simplifies design & decreases power loss. In addition, its compact wafer-level chip scale package (WLCSP) features for low-voltage operation allow powerful laser performance using a typical 3V battery.

Components

The significant components and their design considerations are discussed below.

Constant Current Source:

The constant current source in a laser driver IC is a fundamental part that ensures a stable & controlled flow of current to the laser diode. Thus, it is essential for reliable optical output and to avoid damage.

Laser Diode Mount:

The laser diode mount component provides a safe and thermally efficient method to house the laser diode, thus ensuring proper arrangement & heat dissipation.

ESD Protection:

ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) protection can harm laser diodes because these are sensitive electronic components. The SL2002 IC has ESD protection circuitry to protect from these risks.

Integrated Controls:

The SL2002 IC has control circuitry that simplifies the whole design and decreases the number of required external components.

Modulation Input:

Modulation input allows modulating the laser output by allowing a variety of applications, like pulsed operation for range finding.

Charging of Resonant Capacitor:

The SL2002 IC utilizes resonant capacitor charging to powerfully produce high-current pulses by allowing it to produce peak power over 1kW using a typical 3V battery.

Low-Voltage Operation:

The laser driver IC is designed to function from low-voltage batteries, which are familiar with portable devices, and simplifies power supply design.

High Efficiency:

The SL2002 IC achieves 86% high Vin-to-laser efficiency, increasing battery life within portable applications.

Compact Packaging:

This IC uses WLCSP compact packaging to reduce the footprint and size of the driver to use in space-constrained designs.

Optional External Components:

While the driver IC design reduces external components then some applications may still need a few passive components, such as resistors and capacitors, for specific configurations.

Thus, the SL2002 driver IC aims to shorten laser driver design by incorporating key functions & decreasing the use of external components. Thus, it leads to more efficient, cost-effective, and smaller laser systems, mostly for handy applications.

How SL2002 IC Work?

The SL2002 laser driver IC works by integrating resonant capacitor charging & high-current laser diode firing onto a single chip. Thus, this innovative architecture reduces the need for external discrete components by leading to more efficient, cost-effective, and smaller laser systems, mainly in portable rangefinders & 3D mapping. This IC allows powerful laser performance with low-voltage batteries by charging a capacitor efficiently. After that, it delivers current precisely to the laser diode, mainly for pulsed operation.

The breakdown of this SL2002 IC working follows as;

Charging of Resonant Capacitor

The SL2002 IC utilizes a resonant charging circuit to store energy efficiently within a capacitor. This approach reduces power losses in the charging process to improve overall efficiency. Thus, it generates high-power laser pulses from a 3V low-voltage battery supply.

High-Current Laser Operation

The capacitor in this driver IC can be charged and discharged into the laser diode to generate a high-power and short-light pulse. Thus, SL2002 IC exactly controls the current & discharge timing by ensuring the best laser performance & pulse characteristics. This ability is fundamental for LiDAR application,s wherever precise & repeatable pulses are necessary.

Integration of Single-Chip

The SL2002 IC significantly decreases the number of required external components by combining the charging & firing functions on a single chip. Thus, this leads to more compact, smaller designs & lower system costs because of reduced board space & fewer parts.

Efficiency Gains

The SL2002 IC attains a high Vin-to-laser efficiency, which means a huge amount of the input power can be converted into utilizable optical power. Thus, this improved efficiency is a key benefit, mainly in battery-powered devices, because it extends battery life & decreases power utilization.

Advantages

The advantages of the SL2002 laser driver IC include the following.

• It has high efficiency, compact size, and simplifies system design
• The SL2002 IC achieves 86% efficiency by allowing longer battery life within portable devices.
• It has a small form factor, which allows miniaturization of systems.
• Integrating various functions on a single chip decreases the need for external components by simplifying design & lowering costs.
• This IC produces light pulses that exceed 1000 watts of peak power.
• It operates from a typical 3V battery to make it appropriate for a wide range of convenient applications.
• In addition, the SL2002 IC incorporates various functions/
• It is beneficial, particularly in space-constrained applications like mobile sensors and wearable devices.
• It is designed to optimize power consumption in battery-powered devices.
• It reduces energy waste & expands battery life by decreasing the need for large boost circuits.
• It includes a slow-start mechanism to guard the laser diode from harm in the initial power-up.
• An adjustable current limit avoids over-current conditions and thus, improves the lifespan & system reliability of the laser.
• Mechanical shorting relay and latching current limit improve robustness to real-world operating situations.
• This driver IC can operate in both pulsed and continuous modes.

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of the SL2002 laser driver IC include the following.

• It has limitations on the highest operating voltage & current supply.
• The possibility of EMC/EMI issues and self-oscillation exists if not designed cautiously.
• In addition, it still needs cautious consideration of factors while it shortens the design, like component selection and thermal management.
• The SL2002 IC still produces heat, so correct thermal management is essential to ensure consistent operation, particularly in high-power applications.
• When the SL2002 IC integrates various functions, it needs some external components like resistors and capacitors. However, the choice of these components can affect the overall stability and performance of the circuit.
• When the SL2002 IC simplifies several features of laser driver design, particular applications might still need compensation networks or complex control algorithms. Thus, it achieves the best performance and the overall system density.

SL2002 Laser Driver IC Applications

The applications of the SL2002 laser driver IC include the following.

• The SL2002 laser driver IC is designed to be used in portable applications for high-efficiency and compact laser driving.
• It is suitable for next-generation rangefinders, industrial sensors, and portable 3D mapping that need a low-voltage operation.
• The compact size & high efficiency of this IC will make it perfect for mobile mapping systems that require low voltage from a 3V battery.
• This IC allows the development of more efficient and smaller rangefinders for sports or industrial use.
• It can be used in different industrial sensors that depend on laser technology for measurement & detection.
• In addition, its features can also make it appropriate for use in scopes that need efficient and precise laser triggering.
• This IC can also be used in applications where high peak power laser pulses are required from a low-voltage supply.

Thus, this is an overview of the SL2002 laser driver IC, designed mainly for compact laser and high-efficiency driving applications. This IC on a single chip merges resonant capacitor charging & high-current laser diode firing by removing the need for external components. This results in a smaller PCB footprint, decreased BOM costs & reduced power losses. The SL2002 IC generates light pulses above 1,000W peak power & attains an 86% Vin-to-laser efficiency. Here is a question for you: What is a laser diode?