Acousto-optic modulator system and device with connections and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12461402-B2
Application number	US-202318128881-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2023
Priority date	Nov 21, 2019
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

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.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

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.

Assignees

• Eagle Tech Llc

Inventors

• Wasilousky Peter A
• Corey Christopher A
• Braun Carrigan L
• Lange Michael R
• Logan Catheryn D
• Morse Randall K

Classifications

• H05K2201/10121

  Optical component, e.g. opto-electronic component · CPC title

• H05K2201/09227

  Layout details of a plurality of traces, e.g. escape layout for Ball Grid Array [BGA] mounting · CPC title

• H05K3/4038

  Through-connections; Vertical interconnect access [VIA] connections (H05K3/403, H05K3/42 take precedence) · CPC title

• H05K1/115

  Via connections; Lands around holes or via connections (H05K1/112 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K1/11

  Printed elements for providing electric connections to or between printed circuits · CPC title