Removing a laser diode from a DVD

Removing a laser diode from a DVD As the semiconductor laser technology advances more and more devices using laser diodes appear. However, compact disc drives are still the main sources of laser diodes for experimenters. Indeed, such drives often break and are very rarely repaired due to their low cost. The emergence of the BLU-RAY made many operating CD and DVD drives obsolete since a BLU-RAY drive can read all three types of discs. Let's see how we can remove a laser diode from such a device. All the possible infrared laser emitters including red and violet together with their optical systems are inside the drive's carriage. I.e. you only have to carefully remove the carriage and this will be the thing to work with. After a short search on the Internet you can find the exact location of the diode with the required wavelength. Now you can start removing it. You will need the following: a clean even table, good lighting, a couple of small screwdrivers, pliers, nippers, and a soldering iron. It also won't hurt to have a small vice. Before removing the diode all the outputs must be interconnected. This is to avoid damaging the diode with static electricity. You should hold a central heating radiator for a while for the charge that has been accumulated by the clothing to be removed. You can also use an antistatic bracelet. The simplest solution is to solder all the outputs together using a drop of solder. At the same time the soldering iron must have galvanic insulation from the mains and earthing. Otherwise simply unplug it from the socked, when it's in use. The material of the carriage is rather fragile. The plate into which the diode is inserted is often glued to the carriage. Thus it is easy to break it off together with the diode. After that it can either be cut by a broach file or carefully nibbled by nippers to remove the laser diode. You must be careful. During this process the diode must not fall on the floor, into a pool, or into a jar of jam, etc. You also should avoid touching the radiation yield window. Most likely you won't be able to wipe it. In order to make sure that nothing happens to the diode I recommend wrapping it in a piece of foil right after removal. Remove the diode from the foil right before installation.

[therealjammit]

Another hint for taking care of static. Use some wire connected to the metal part of the soldering iron, and connect the wire to the metal on the laser diode. The static may not be removed, but at least the diode and the soldering iron are at the same potential. I've not lost any diodes doing this.

[QtheminiQ]

You must be careful. During this process the diode must not fall into a jar of jam
This is something I did NOT know
I wonder if Peanut Butter is OK

[brimleyhillmassive]

this voice is too annoying to bear watching the video