Acousto-optic modulator system and device with connections and related methods
An acousto-optic system may include a laser source, and an AOM coupled to the laser source and having an acousto-optic medium and transducer electrodes carried by the medium. The acousto-optic system may also include an interface board with a dielectric layer and signal contacts carried by the dielectric layer, and connections coupling respective signal contacts with respective transducer electrodes. Each connection may include a dielectric protrusion extending from the AOM, and an electrically conductive layer on the dielectric protrusion for coupling a respective transducer electrode to a respective signal contact.
1 . A method for making an acousto-optic device comprising:
forming an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) comprising an acousto-optic medium and a plurality of transducer electrodes carried by the acousto-optic medium;
forming an interface board comprising a dielectric layer and a plurality of signal contacts carried by the dielectric layer; and
forming a plurality of connections coupling respective signal contacts with respective transducer electrodes, each connection comprising
a dielectric protrusion extending from the AOM, and
an electrically conductive layer on the dielectric protrusion for coupling a respective transducer electrode to a respective signal contact.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein each connection comprises a pair of spaced apart alignment protrusions extending from the interface board with the dielectric protrusion therebetween.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein each transducer electrode extends beneath a respective dielectric protrusion.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein each electrically conductive layer comprises an electrically conductive strap having opposing ends coupled to the respective transducer electrode.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the respective dielectric protrusions for the plurality of connections are contiguous with one another and define an elongate strip.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein forming the interface board comprises forming a plurality of vertically extending signal vias coupled respectively to the plurality of signal contacts.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein forming the interface board comprises forming a plurality of reference voltage shield vias and respective reference voltage traces coupled to the reference voltage shield vias.
8 . The method of claim 1 comprising coupling modulator drive circuitry to the plurality of signal contacts.
9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the acousto-optic medium comprises at least one of fused silica and quartz.
10 . A method for making an acousto-optic system comprising:
coupling a laser source to an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) comprising an acousto-optic medium and a plurality of transducer electrodes carried by the acousto-optic medium;
coupling an interface board to the AOM, the interface board comprising a dielectric layer and a plurality of signal contacts carried by the dielectric layer; and
coupling respective signal contacts with respective transducer electrodes using a plurality of connections, each connection comprising
a dielectric protrusion extending from the AOM, and
an electrically conductive layer on the dielectric protrusion for coupling a respective transducer electrode to a respective signal contact.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein each connection comprises a pair of spaced apart alignment protrusions extending from the interface board with the dielectric protrusion therebetween.
12 . The method of claim 10 wherein each transducer electrode extends beneath a respective dielectric protrusion.
13 . The method of claim 10 wherein each electrically conductive layer comprises an electrically conductive strap having opposing ends coupled to the respective transducer electrode.
14 . The method of claim 10 wherein the respective dielectric protrusions for the plurality of connections are contiguous with one another and define an elongate strip.
15 . The method of claim 10 wherein the interface board comprises a plurality of vertically extending signal vias coupled respectively to the plurality of signal contacts.
16 . The method of claim 10 wherein the interface board comprises a plurality of reference voltage shield vias and respective reference voltage traces coupled to the reference voltage shield vias.
17 . The method of claim 10 comprising coupling modulator drive circuitry to the plurality of signal contacts.
18 . The method of claim 10 wherein the acousto-optic medium comprises at least one of fused silica and quartz.
19 . A method for making an acousto-optic device comprising:
forming an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) to be coupled to a laser source, the AOM comprising an acousto-optic medium and a plurality of transducer electrodes carried by the acousto-optic medium, the acousto-optic medium comprising at least one of fused silica and quartz;
forming an interface board comprising a dielectric layer and a plurality of signal contacts carried by the dielectric layer; and
forming a plurality of connections coupling respective signal contacts with respective transducer electrodes, each connection comprising
a dielectric protrusion extending from the AOM, and
an electrically conductive layer on the dielectric protrusion for coupling a respective transducer electrode to a respective signal contact.
20 . The method of claim 19 wherein each connection comprises a pair of spaced apart alignment protrusions extending from the interface board with the dielectric protrusion therebetween.
21 . The method of claim 19 wherein each transducer electrode extends beneath a respective dielectric protrusion.
22 . The method of claim 19 wherein each electrically conductive layer comprises an electrically conductive strap having opposing ends coupled to the respective transducer electrode.