A high packing density laser diode stack array is developed utilizing Al-free active region laser bars with a broad waveguide and discrete copper microchannel-cooled heatsinks. The microchannel cooling technology leads to a 10-bar laser diode stack array having the thermal resistance of 0.199 oC/W, and enables the device to be operated under continuous-wave (CW) condition at an output power of 1200 W. The thickness of the discrete copper heatsink is only 1.5 mm, which results in a high packing density and a small bar pitch of 1.8 mm.