AOM system with interface board and signal vias and related methods

A system comprising:

• a laser source;
• an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) coupled to said laser source and comprising an acousto-optic medium, a plurality of transducer electrodes carried by said acousto-optic medium, and a reference voltage contact pad carried by said acousto-optic medium;
• an interface board comprising
• a dielectric layer,
• a plurality of vertically extending signal vias within said dielectric layer, each vertically extending signal via having a lower end in contact with a respective transducer electrode,
• a plurality of laterally extending signal traces carried by said dielectric layer, each laterally extending signal trace in contact with an upper end of a respective vertically extending signal via, and
• a plurality of vertically extending shield vias within said dielectric layer coupled to said reference voltage contact pad and defining respective reference voltage shields between adjacent laterally extending signal traces;
• and
• modulator drive circuitry coupled to said plurality of laterally extending signal traces.

An interface board for a system comprising a laser source, and an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) coupled to the laser source and comprising an acousto-optic medium, and a plurality of transducer electrodes carried by the acousto-optic medium, the interface board comprising:

• a dielectric layer;
• a plurality of vertically extending signal vias within said dielectric layer, each vertically extending signal via having a lower end in contact with a respective transducer electrode;
• and
• a plurality of laterally extending signal traces carried by said dielectric layer, each laterally extending signal trace in contact with an upper end of a respective vertically extending signal via.

A method of making a system comprising:

• forming an interface board comprising
• a dielectric layer,
• a plurality of vertically extending signal vias within the dielectric layer, each vertically extending signal via having a lower end in contact with a respective transducer electrode carried by an acousto-optic medium of an acousto-optic modulator (AOM), and
• a plurality of laterally extending signal traces carried by the dielectric layer, each laterally extending signal trace in contact with an upper end of a respective vertically extending signal via;
• and
• coupling the interface board to the AOM.