A ridge-waveguide, InGaAs/GaAlAs/GaAs, 980 nm, pump laser-diode emitting more than 600 mW of kink-free power and a FWHM divergence angle less than 22 degrees using an asymmetric-waveguide structure is presented. No catastrophic optical-damage was observed on p-up mounted devices up to a quasi-CW output power of 2 Watts where the power was limited by thermal effects.