Title: Supplying power/ground to a component having side power/ground pads
Abstract: In various embodiments, one or more connectors are configured to make electrical contact with side power and ground pads on a component. The connectors may include, in some embodiments, a conductive member and a compressible conductor for making electrical contact with the side pads. In some embodiments, the connectors are attached to a power board configured to be placed over a top of the component during use. In other embodiments, the connectors are attached to a socket into which the component is inserted during use. In still other embodiments, the connectors are attached to a motherboard to which the socket is attached.
Patent Number: 7,005,586 Issued on 02/28/2006 to Duley
| Inventors:
|
Duley; Raymond S. (Buda, TX)
|
| Assignee:
|
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
741351 |
| Filed:
|
December 19, 2003 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
174/261; 174/260; 174/59; 361/803; 361/808; 439/65 |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
H01R 12/04 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
174/260,521,59,60
361/761-764,784,803,808,809,785-791
438/65-75
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
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| 5313096 | May., 1994 | Eide.
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| 5574630 | Nov., 1996 | Kresge et al.
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| 5894411 | Apr., 1999 | Embo et al.
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| 6239485 | May., 2001 | Peters et al.
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| 6304450 | Oct., 2001 | DiBene, II et al.
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| 6326647 | Dec., 2001 | Chiu.
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| 6356448 | Mar., 2002 | DiBene, II et al.
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| 6556455 | Apr., 2003 | DiBene, II et al.
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| 6558169 | May., 2003 | Figueroa et al.
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| 6642730 | Nov., 2003 | Hembree et al.
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| 6853559 | Feb., 2005 | Panella et al.
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| 2002/0172022 | Nov., 2002 | DiBene, II et al.
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| 2003/0002268 | Jan., 2003 | DiBene, II et al.
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| 2003/0057548 | Mar., 2003 | Hartke et al.
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| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 1 256 263 | Nov., 2002 | EP.
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| 1 261 999 | Dec., 2002 | EP.
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| 01/06821 | Jan., 2001 | WO.
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| 01/33927 | May., 2001 | WO.
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| 02/089260 | Nov., 2002 | WO.
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| 02/089260 | Nov., 2002 | WO.
| |
Other References
Jim Hjerpe, "Power Distribution for High-Performance Processors," HDI, The Magazine
of High-Density Interconnect, vol. 3, No. 10, Oct. 2000, pp. 22-24.
INCEP Technologies, Inc., "High-Current Processor Power Delivery Systems," 2003,
4 pages.
INCEP Technologies, Inc., "INVEP ZVRM™ Architecture," 2003, 5 pages.
Prismark Partners LLC, "Power Demands in High-End Microprocessors," Feb. 2002,
14 pages.
|
Primary Examiner: Cuneo; Kamand
Assistant Examiner: Norris; Jeremy
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Merkel; Lawrence J., Meyertons, Hood, Kivlin, Kowert & Goetzel, P.C.
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
10/688,817, filed on Oct. 17, 2003.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for use with a component that includes one or more integrated
circuits and a component package to which the one or more integrated circuits are
coupled, the component package having a bottom comprising a plurality of conductors
for providing signal connection of the component to a first circuit board, a top
to which the one or more integrated circuits are coupled, and a plurality of sides,
wherein at least one of the plurality of sides includes at least one power pad
for providing a power supply voltage to the one or more integrated circuits and
wherein at least one of the plurality of sides includes at least one ground pad
for providing a ground to the one or more integrated circuits, the apparatus comprising:
a second circuit board configured to be placed over a top of the component, the
second circuit board including a bottom side that faces the component during use;
two or more connectors coupled to the second circuit board, the connectors configured
to make electrical contact with the power pad and ground pad on the plurality of
sides of the component package when the second circuit board is in place over the
top of the component, and wherein each of the two or more connectors comprises
a conductive member having a first surface and one or more compressible conductors
affixed to the first surface, wherein the compressible conductors, during use,
make electrical contact with the power pad and ground pad on the plurality of sides
of the component package, and wherein the conductive member further comprises a
second surface that faces the bottom side of the second circuit board during use,
and wherein the conductive member comprises one or more conductors extending from
the second surface, the one or more conductors connected to the bottom side of
the second circuit board.
2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the first surface and the second
surface are substantially perpendicular.
3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the compressible conductors each
comprise a curved conductor, wherein compression of the compressible conductors
comprises deforming the curved conductor.
4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein there is a space between the curved
conductor and the first surface, and wherein the apparatus comprises a compressible
material inserted into the space.
5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the component includes a power
pad and a ground pad on each of the plurality of sides, and wherein the two or
more connectors comprise connectors for less than a total number of the plurality
of sides.
6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein the total number is four, and
wherein connectors are provided for three of the plurality of sides.
7. An apparatus for use with a component that includes one or more integrated
circuits and a component package to which the one or more integrated circuits are
coupled, the component package having a bottom comprising a plurality of conductors
for providing signal connection to the one or more integrated circuits, a top to
which the one or more integrated circuits are coupled, and a plurality of sides,
wherein at least one of the plurality of sides includes at least one power pad
for providing a power supply voltage to the one or more integrated circuits and
wherein at least one of the plurality of sides includes at least one ground pad
for providing a ground to the one or more integrated circuits, the apparatus comprising:
a socket configured to be coupled to a first circuit board during use, wherein
the socket is configured to couple a component that is inserted into the socket,
during use, to the first circuit board during use; and
two or more connectors mechanically attached to the socket, the connectors configured
to make electrical contact with the power pad and ground pad on the plurality of
sides of the component package when the component is in the socket, where the two
or more connectors are configured to be electrically coupled to a second circuit
board placed over a top of the component during use, and wherein at least a first
connector of the two or more connectors is electrically isolated from the first
circuit board, and wherein each of the two or more connectors comprises a conductive
member having a first surface and one or more compressible conductors affixed to
the first surface wherein the compressible conductors, during use, make electrical
contact with the power pad and ground pad on the plurality of sides of the component
package, and wherein the conductive member further comprises a second surface that
faces the bottom side of the second circuit board during use, and wherein the conductive
member comprises one or more holes in the second surface for receiving conductors
attached to the bottom side of the second circuit board.
8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the two or more connectors are
configured to exert force, during use, against the power pad and the ground pad
to maintain electrical connection with the power pad and the ground pad.
9. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the compressible conductors each
comprise a curved conductor, wherein compression of the compressible conductors
comprises deforming the curved conductor.
10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein there is a space between the
curved conductor and the first surface, and wherein the apparatus comprises a compressible
material inserted into the space.
11. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the component includes a power
pad and a ground pad on each of the plurality of sides, and wherein the two or
more connectors comprise connectors for less than a total number of the plurality
of sides.
12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein the total number is four, and
wherein connectors are provided for three of the plurality of sides.
13. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the first connector is used to
supply the power supply voltage to the power pad during use.
14. The apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein a second connector of the two
or more connectors is used to supply the ground to the ground pad during use, and
wherein the second connector is electrically isolated from the first circuit board
during use.
15. The apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein a second connector of the two
or more connectors is used to supply the ground to the ground pad during use, and
wherein the second connector is electrically coupled to the first circuit board
during use.
16. An apparatus for use with a component that includes one or more integrated
circuits and a component package to which the one or more integrated circuits are
coupled, the component package having a bottom comprising a plurality of conductors
for providing signal connection to the one or more integrated circuits, a top to
which the one or more integrated circuits are coupled, and a plurality of sides,
wherein at least one of the plurality of sides includes at least one power pad
for providing a power supply voltage to the one or more integrated circuits and
wherein at least one of the plurality of sides includes at least one ground pad
for providing a ground to the one or more integrated circuits, the apparatus comprising:
a first circuit board;
a socket coupled to the first circuit board, wherein the socket is configured
to couple a component that is inserted into the socket, during use, to the first
circuit board during use; and
two or more connectors mechanically attached to the first circuit board, the
connectors configured to make electrical contact with the power pad and ground
pad on the plurality of sides of the component package when the component is in
the socket, where the two or more connectors are configured to be electrically
coupled to a second circuit board placed over a top of the component during use,
and wherein at least a first connector of the two or more connectors is electrically
isolated from the first circuit board, and wherein the two or more connectors are
configured to exert force, during use, against the power pad and the ground pad
to maintain electrical connection with the power pad and the ground pad, and wherein
each of the two or more connectors comprises a conductive member having a first
surface and one or more compressible conductors affixed to the first surface, wherein
the compressible conductors, during use, make electrical contact with the power
pad and ground pad on the plurality of sides of the component package, and wherein
the conductive member further comprises a second surface that faces the bottom
side of the second circuit board during use, and wherein the conductive member
comprises one or more holes in the second surface for receiving conductors attached
to the bottom side of the second circuit board.
17. The apparatus as recited in claim 16 wherein the compressible conductors
each comprise a curved conductor, wherein compression of the compressible conductors
comprises deforming the curved conductor.
18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein there is a space between the
curved conductor and the first surface, and wherein the apparatus comprises a compressible
material inserted into the space.
19. The apparatus as recited in claim 16 wherein the component includes a power
pad and a ground pad on each of the plurality of sides, and wherein the two or
more connectors comprise connectors for less than a total number of the plurality
of sides.
20. The apparatus as recited in claim 19 wherein the total number is four, and
wherein connectors are provided for three of the plurality of sides.
21. A connector for use with a component that includes one or more integrated
circuits and a component package to which the one or more integrated circuits are
coupled, the component package having a bottom comprising a plurality of conductors
for providing signal connection to the one or more integrated circuits, a top to
which the one or more integrated circuits are coupled, and a plurality of sides,
wherein at least one of the plurality of sides includes at least one power pad
for providing a power supply voltage to the one or more integrated circuits and
wherein at least one of the plurality of sides includes at least one ground pad
for providing a ground to the one or more integrated circuits, the connector comprising:
a conductive member having a first surface; and
one or more compressible conductors affixed to the first surface, wherein the
compressible conductors, during use, make electrical contact with the power pad
and ground pad on the plurality of sides of the component package, wherein the
compressible conductors each comprise a curved conductor, and wherein there is
a space between the curved conductor and the first surface, and wherein the connector
comprises a solid compressible material inserted into the space.
22. The connector as recited in claim 21 wherein the conductive member further
comprises a second surface that is substantially perpendicular to the first surface.
23. The connector as recited in claim 22 wherein the conductive member comprises
one or more holes in the second surface for receiving conductors.
24. The connector as recited in claim 22 further comprising one or more conductors
extending from the second surface.
25. The connector as recited in claim 21 wherein compression of the compressible
conductors comprises deforming the curved conductor.
26. An apparatus for use with a component that includes one or more integrated
circuits and a component package to which the one or more integrated circuits are
coupled, the component package having a bottom comprising a plurality of conductors
for providing signal connection to the one or more integrated circuits, a top to
which the one or more integrated circuits are coupled, and a plurality of sides,
wherein at least one of the plurality of sides includes at least one power pad
for providing a power supply voltage to the one or more integrated circuits and
wherein at least one of the plurality of sides includes at least one ground pad
for providing a ground to the one or more integrated circuits, the apparatus comprising:
a pair of conductive plates, wherein a first plate of the pair comprises a first
plurality of tabs, and wherein a second plate of the pair comprises a second plurality
of tabs positioned differently than the first plurality of tabs on the first plate,
and wherein the second plate further comprises a first plurality of slots that
align to the first plurality of tabs when assembled;
an insulator comprising a second plurality of slots aligned to the first plurality
of slots when assembled, wherein the insulator is placed between the pair of conductive
plates when assembled, and wherein the first plurality of tabs passes through the
second plurality of slots and the first plurality of slots when assembled; and
a plurality of connectors, wherein each of the plurality of connectors is connected
to one of the pair of conductive plates and is configured to make electrical connection
with one of the power pad or the ground pad on the plurality of sides of the component package.
27. The apparatus as recited in claim 26 further comprising a circuit board configured
to be placed over a top of the component during use, wherein the circuit board
is attached to the first plurality of tabs and the second plurality of tabs to
supply the power supply voltage and the ground to the component.
28. The apparatus as recited in claim 27 wherein the circuit board is configured
to supply the power supply voltage on the first plurality of tabs and the ground
on the second plurality of tabs.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to integrated circuit components and, more particularly,
to supplying integrated circuit components with power.
2. Description of the Related Art
Over time, the magnitude of the supply voltage for various integrated circuits
has been reduced. Where 5 volts and even higher was once a common voltage magnitude,
more recent integrated circuits have specified supply voltage magnitudes in the
range of 1.5 volts. In the future, the magnitude of the voltage is expected to
decrease even further.
At the same time, the number of transistors included in the integrated circuits
has continued to increase, and the power requirements of the integrated circuits
have continued to grow. For example, modern processor products often consume 50-100
watts of power. If a supply voltage of 1.5 volts is presumed, the current required
to supply 50-100 watts of power is on the order of 30-60 amps. Future processor
generations are expected to grow the power consumption as well, requiring in excess
of 100 amps of current at the expected supply voltage magnitudes.
High currents such as those now being experienced and those expected in the
future are problematic. First, the integrated circuits are typically packaged in
a device having pins for connecting the integrated circuits to a circuit board
such as the mother board of a computer. The pins are relatively small in cross
section, and thus the current that the pin can sink or source without damage is
limited. In many current integrated circuits, as much as 2/3 of the package pins
are dedicated to power and ground connections. To support high currents, even more
of the package pins would have to be dedicated to power and ground connections,
limiting the number of pins available for signal connections. Second, managing
such high currents on the mother board is problematic, especially for the less
expensive motherboard designs typically used in, for example, personal computers.
One attempt to address the high current issues is implemented in the Itanium
2 processor product manufactured by Intel Corp. (Santa Clara, Calif.). The Itanium
2 processor product includes an integrated circuit implementing the processor,
attached to a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board also includes voltage
regulation circuitry that receives a relatively high voltage input to the board
(e.g. 12 volts), and reduces the voltage magnitude to the supply voltage used by
the processor (e.g. 1.5 volts). The input to the board may be from a power pod
module coupled to the board with a flexible connector. Power pod modules may be
available from, e.g., Tyco Electronics, Inc., Celestica Power Systems, or Delta
Electronics, Inc. The higher voltage input to the board may permit the current
input to the board to be lower than the current input to the processor (since power
is the product of voltage and current). However, this solution may be costly, since
components to perform voltage regulation/power conversion with a physical size
that is appropriate for the board may be expensive. Additionally, the processor
manufacturer must become involved in board manufacturing, voltage regulator component
stocking, managing lead time for the components of the voltage regulator, etc.
Another attempt to address the high current issues, implemented by Incep
Technologies, Inc. (San Diego, Calif.), includes the voltage regulation module
above the integrated circuit, between the heat sink and the integrated circuit.
This approach also may be costly, as the components used to form the voltage regulation
module must be small so as to fit between the heat sink and the integrated circuit.
Furthermore, the current limits of such small components may limit the applicability
of this solution in future products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, an apparatus is contemplated for use with a component that
includes one or more integrated circuits and a component package to which the one
or more integrated circuits are coupled. The component package has a bottom comprising
a plurality of conductors for providing signal connection to the one or more integrated
circuits, a top to which the one or more integrated circuits are coupled, and a
plurality of sides. At least one of the plurality of sides includes at least one
power pad for providing a power supply voltage to the one or more integrated circuits
and wherein at least one of the plurality of sides includes at least one ground
pad for providing a ground to the one or more integrated circuits. The apparatus
comprises a circuit board configured to be placed over a top of the component.
The circuit board includes a bottom side that faces the component during use. Two
or more connectors are connected to the bottom side of the circuit board, wherein
the connectors are configured to make electrical contact with the power pad and
ground pad on the plurality of sides of the component package when the circuit
board is in place over the top of the component.
In another embodiment, the apparatus for use with the above mentioned component
comprises a socket configured to be coupled to a first circuit board during use
and two or more connectors mechanically attached to the socket. The socket is configured
to couple a component that is inserted into the socket, during use, to the first
circuit board during use. The connectors are configured to make electrical contact
with the power pad and ground pad on the plurality of sides of the component package
when the component is in the socket, where the two or more connectors are configured
to be electrically coupled to a second circuit board placed over a top of the component
during use. In yet another embodiment, a socket including indentations for mechanical
attachment to the connectors is contemplated.
In still another embodiment, an apparatus for use with the above mentioned component
comprises a first circuit board, a socket configured to be coupled to the first
circuit board, and two or more connectors mechanically attached to the first circuit
board. The socket is configured to couple a component that is inserted into the
socket, during use, to the first circuit board during use. The connectors are configured
to make electrical contact with the power pad and ground pad on the plurality of
sides of the component package when the component is in the socket, where the two
or more connectors are configured to be electrically coupled to a second circuit
board placed over a top of the component during use.
In another embodiment, a connector for use with the above mentioned component
comprises a conductive member having a first surface and one or more compressible
conductors affixed to the first surface. The compressible conductors, during use,
make electrical contact with the power pad and ground pad on the plurality of sides
of the component package.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The following detailed description makes reference to the accompanying drawings,
which are now briefly described.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a portion of one embodiment of an electronic system.
FIG. 2 is a top view of one embodiment of a power board shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of one embodiment of a power board shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a top view of one embodiment of a component shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a side view of one embodiment of the power board shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a first power supply layer of
one embodiment of the power board shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a second power supply layer of
one embodiment of the power board shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 8 is a top view of one embodiment of the component shown in FIG. 1 having
side pads for power and ground instead of top pads.
FIG. 9 is a side view of one embodiment of the component, illustrating the side pads.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the power board and the component
having side pads, illustrating connection between the power board and the component
and within the component.
FIG. 11 is a top view of one embodiment of a power or ground plane within the
component package.
FIG. 12 is a bottom view of another embodiment of a power board.
FIG. 13 is an end view of one embodiment of a connector shown in FIG. 12.
FIG. 14 is a top view of one embodiment of the connector shown in FIG. 12.
FIG. 15 is a top view of one embodiment of a socket with a component inserted therein.
FIG. 16 is a side view of one embodiment of the second with the component inserted therein.
FIG. 17 is a top view of another embodiment of a socket with a component inserted therein.
FIG. 18 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the power board and the component
having side pads, illustrating connection between the power board and the component
using the connector shown in FIGS. 13 and 14.
FIG. 19 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a socket having connectors attached thereto.
FIG. 20 is an end view of one embodiment of a connector shown in FIG. 19.
FIG. 21 is a top view of one embodiment of the connector shown in FIG. 19.
FIG. 22 is a side view of one embodiment of the power board coupled to the connectors
and socket shown in FIG. 19.
FIG. 23 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a motherboard with connectors
and a socket attached thereto.
FIG. 24 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the socket shown in FIG. 19,
illustrated indentations therein.
FIG. 25 is a top view of one embodiment of a V
Core plate for use
in another embodiment of coupling a power board to a component.
FIG. 26 is a top view of one embodiment of an insulating layer for use in another
embodiment of coupling a power board to a component.
FIG. 27 is a top view of one embodiment of a V
SS plate for use in
another embodiment of coupling a power board to a component.
FIG. 28 is a side view of one embodiment of the power board and connector when assembled.
FIG. 29 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a plate that may be used to
form the V
Core and V
SS plates shown in FIGS. 25 and 27.
FIG. 30 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a portion of the bottom of one
embodiment of a power board.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative
forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings
and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that
the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention
to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover
all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope
of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
Turning now to FIG. 1, a block diagram illustrating a portion of one embodiment
of an electronic system is shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the electronic
system may include a first circuit board (labeled motherboard) 10, a socket
12, a component 14 (comprising one or more integrated circuits such
as integrated circuit 14A and a component package 14B in the illustrated
embodiment), a power board 16, spring connectors 18, a heat sink
20, a fan 22, a connector 24 on the power board 16,
a corresponding connector 26 on a voltage regulation module (VRM) 28,
and standoffs 30 and 32.
In some embodiments, the electronic system may be a computer system such as a
personal computer (PC) or a server computer system. A computer system will be used
at various points herein as an example, and a processor may be used as an example
of the component 14. However, any electronic system that employs circuit
boards and components attached thereto may be used in other examples and embodiments.
As used herein, a circuit board may include any structure of alternating layers
of conductors and insulating material used to couple various components and other
electrical devices together. The insulating material layers may include vias to
connect conductors in adjoining layers above and below the insulating material
layers. For example, a printed circuit board may be an exemplary circuit board.
In the illustrated embodiment, each of the motherboard 10 and the power
board 16 may be examples of circuit boards. A component may comprise any
combination of one or more integrated circuits and a package used to provide electrical
interface between the integrated circuit(s) and other components, circuit boards,
etc. For simplicity herein, a component may at some points be discussed as including
one integrated circuit. However, in general, more than one integrated circuit may
be included in the component.
The component packet 14B may include a plurality of pins 14C that
are used to connect the component 14 to a circuit board such as the motherboard
10 (e.g. through the socket 12, in the illustrated embodiment). Generally,
the pins 14C may comprise any conductors for providing electrical connectivity
between the component 14 and a circuit board. The pins 14C may be
any of a variety of constructions, such as pin grid arrays (PGAs), ball grid arrays
(BGAs), etc. The pins 14C may be used to provide signal connection to the
component 14 (that is, communicative signals such as input, output, and
input/output signals as opposed to power and ground connections). Thus, signal
connection may be provided through the bottom side of the component 14 (the
side nearest the motherboard 10). For example, various conductors 34
in the motherboard 10 may be electrically coupled to various pins 14C
for communication with other components/devices. The package 14B may further
comprise any electrical interconnection between the pins 14C and the integrated
circuit 14A. For example, in some embodiments, the packet 14B may
comprise a circuit board providing the electrical interconnection and also including
power and ground planes for supplying power supply voltage and ground to the integrated
circuit 14A. In some embodiments, the package 14B may comprise an
organic package, and in some other embodiments the package 14B may comprise
a ceramic package. In other embodiments, the package 14B may comprise discrete
conductors between each pin and the integrated circuit 14A.
On the other hand, power and ground connection may be made through the power
board
16 to the top side of the component 14 (that is, the side of the
component 14 opposite the side of the component 14 that faces the
motherboard 10), in the illustrated embodiment. More particularly, the power
and ground connection may be made through the power board 16 to the top
side of the component package 14B, in the illustrated embodiment.
The power board 16 may be positioned above the component 14 (e.g.,
between the component 14 and the heat sink 20, as shown in FIG. 1)
and may be coupled to the VRM 28 through the connectors 24 and 26.
The VRM 28 may supply the voltage magnitude and current requirements of
the component 14 to the power board 16, which may convey the voltage/current
to the top of the component 14 (e.g. through the spring connectors 18
in the illustrated embodiment).
By supplying power and ground connection to the top of the component 14,
the pins 14C may be dedicated to providing signal interconnection, in some
embodiments. The pins 14C may not be required to source or sink large currents
associated with the power and ground connections, in some embodiments, but rather
the typically smaller signal currents.
In some embodiments, the component 14 may output one or more signals identifying
the voltage magnitude required by the component 14. These voltage identification
(VID) signals may be routed through pins 14C, the motherboard 10
(e.g. conductors 36 in FIG. 1), to the VRM 28. In one embodiment
in which the component 14 is a processor, for example, there may be 5 VID
signals. The VRM 28 may generate the voltage of the desired magnitude for
transmission through the power board 16 to the component 14. In some
embodiments, the VRM 28 may also measure the voltage actually received by
the component 14 using a pair of remote voltage sense (RVS) lines, and may
use the measured voltage as feedback for generating the voltage by the VRM 28,
to ensure that the voltage magnitude actually received by the component 14
(taking into account an I
2R losses in the connectors 24 and 26,
the power board 16, and the connectors 18) is the voltage indicated
on the VID signals (or a close approximation thereof). The RVS lines may also be
routed through the motherboard 10 from to the VRM 28. By routing
signals communicating between the component 14 and the VRM 28 through
the motherboard 10, only power and ground pads need be provided on the top
of the component 14 (and on the power board 16) which may maximize
the number of power and ground pads (and thus the amount of current that may be
supplied to the component 14). Additionally, the power board 16 may
be relatively simple, since it delivers power and ground to the component 14
and does not route signals between the component 14 and the VRM 28.
The power board 16 may extend horizontally beyond an edge of the component
package 14B to make connection with the VRM 28. For example, in the
orientation shown in FIG. 1, the power board 16 extends to the right beyond
the right edge of the component package 14B to make contact with the VRM
28. In this fashion, the VRM 28 may be arranged to a side of the
component 14 (other than the top or bottom side) and thus may be relatively
independent of the component assembly. Standard VRMs 28 may be used, such
as the VRMs available from Hewlett Packard (Palo Alto, Calif.), Delta Electronics,
Inc. (Taiwan), etc. Furthermore, since the VRM 28 is separate from the component
assembly, more freedom in the selection of circuitry on the VRM may be enjoyed.
For example, inexpensive (often relatively large) devices may be selected to form
the VRM 28. Additionally, components capable of high currents may be selectable
without much regard to the size of the components.
Viewed in another way, there may be an area defined on the surface of the
motherboard 10 (referred to as the "keep out" area) which at least matches
the footprint of the heat sink on the motherboard 10. That is, if the keep
out area were extended vertically, the resulting volume would encompass the heat
sink. The VRM 28 may be arranged outside of the keep out area, and the power
board 16 may extend out of the keep out area. In one embodiment, the connector
24 may be affixed to the power board 16 on the portion of the power
board 16 that extends beyond the edge of the component 14 and/or
out of the keep out area.
While the VRM 28 is shown to the right of the component 14 in
the illustrated embodiment, the VRM 28 may be arranged to any side of the
component 14 in various embodiments other than the top or bottom side.
The VRM 28 may be coupled to receive input power from the motherboard
10 in the form of a higher voltage magnitude and lower current magnitude
than those required by the component 14. Thus, the motherboard 10
need not be designed to handle the relatively high currents that supply the component
14. In some embodiments, existing motherboard technologies may be used.
For example, in PC systems, the motherboard 10 may typically comprise 4
layers for providing both power and ground and signal interconnect. Since high
currents need not be supported in the motherboard 10, the existing technology
may be used, in some embodiments. Furthermore, if current requirements change for
future versions of the component 14, the motherboard 10 need not
be changed. A new VRM 28 and/or power board 16 may be installed,
if necessary.
In the illustrated embodiment, the spring connectors 18 may be used to
make electrical connection between the component packet 14B and the power
board 16. The spring connectors 18, when not compressed between the
power board 16 and the component package 14B, may extend a distance
that exceeds the distance between the power board 16 and the component packet
14B. The compression of the spring connectors 18 between the power
board 16 and the component package 14B may provide a high quality
electrical connection. In one embodiment, the spring connectors 18 may be
affixed (e.g. soldered) to the power board 16 and may be compressed against
the component package 14B. In another embodiment, the spring connectors
18 may be affixed to the component packet 14B and may be compressed
against the power board 16. The power board 16 may comprise a plurality
of conductive pads, and the component package 14B may comprise a corresponding
plurality of conductive pads (shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively). The spring
connectors 18 may comprise a connector, for each of the conductive pads
on the power boards 16, that extends between that conductive pad and the
corresponding conductive pad on the component package 14B. In yet other
embodiments, the power board 16 and the component 14 may be electrically
coupled in other ways (e.g. solder connections may be made).
In the illustrated embodiment, the spring connectors 18 may have an "elbow"
in the connector that can be compressed to make the connection. Other embodiments
may include vertical springs, or any other compressible connector. In one implementation,
the spring connectors 18 may be selected from various connectors available
from Molex, Inc. (e.g. part number 49Z0000006).
For good thermal conduction from the integrated circuit 14A to the head
sink 20, it is desirable for the heat sink 20 to physically contact
the integrated circuit 14A (although a thermal adhesive or gel may be used).
Thus, the power board 16 may have an opening formed therein to permit passage
of a protrusion on the heat sink through the opening to make contact with the integrated
circuit 14A.
As mentioned above, in the illustrated embodiment, the spring connectors 18
may be compressed to make electrical connection between the power board 16
and the component 14. The weight of the heat sink 20 may be used
to supply some of the compression force. To concentrate the force, standoffs 20
may be applied to the power board 30. The heat sink 20, when in place,
may rest on the standoffs 30. The standoffs 30 may be arranged vertically
above the spring connectors 18, so that the weight of the heat sink 20
may apply compressive force to the spring connectors 18. The exact position
of the standoffs 30 relative to the spring connectors 18 may vary
due to manufacturing variations in placement of the standoffs 30. Additionally,
the standoffs 30 may be wider, in some embodiments, than the spring connectors
18. However, the nominal placement of the standoffs 30 may be such
that at least a portion of the standoffs 30 are vertically aligned to the
spring connectors 18. The standoffs 30 may be formed of any substantially
resilient materials. For example, in one embodiment, the standoffs 30 may
contain rubber. The standoffs 30 may be formed from bulk rubber, or may
comprise a rubber-based epoxy or other caulk-like material that may be applied
to the power board 16. A standoff 32 may also be used to provide
support for the power board 16, as shown in FIG. 1. In other embodiments,
the standoff 32 may be eliminated.
The connectors 24 and 26 may be any suitable connector that may
support the current requirements of the component 14. For example, in one
implementation, the connectors 24 and 26 may be the 2 millimeter
quad row shoulder connectors available from Samtec, Inc. (New Albany, Ind.) in
the TMMS series (e.g. part number TMMS12-01-T-Q). While the connectors 24
and 26 make a horizontal connection in the illustrated embodiment, in other
embodiments the connectors 24 and 26 may make a vertical connection
(i.e. one of the connectors 24 or 26 may be substantially above the
other when connected). The connector 24 may be attached to either the top
side of the power board 16 (as shown in FIG. 1) or the bottom side, in various
embodiments. In still other embodiments, the VRM 28 may be integrated onto
the power board 16 (on the portion that extends beyond the edge of the component
14 or that is outside of the keep out area of the heat sink 20).
In such an embodiment, the power board 16/VRM 28 combination may
include a connector to the motherboard 10 to supply power to the VRM 28.
One or more connectors 24 (and corresponding connectors 26) may be
used in various embodiments.
The socket 12 is coupled to the motherboard 10. For example, the
socket 12 may be soldered to the motherboard 10, or otherwise affixed
to the motherboard 10 in an essentially permanent fashion. The socket 12
may be provided to permit coupling of the component 14 to the motherboard
10 in a fashion that permits relatively easy insertion and removable. For
example, the socket 12 may be a zero insertion force (ZIF) socket of any
of a variety of designs. Alternatively, the socket 12 may employ constant
frictional force to hold a component 14 in place, in which case the component
14 may be pushed into the socket 12 with enough force to cause the
component 14 to slide into the socket. In yet other embodiments, the socket
12 may be eliminated and the component 14 may be affixed to the motherboard
(e.g. soldered or otherwise affixed in an essentially permanent fashion).
It is noted that, while the VRM 28 is shown in a vertical arrangement in
FIG. 1, the VRM 28 may be horizontal in other embodiments, as desired. It
is further noted that FIG. 1 is not intended to be viewed as "to scale". The relative
sizes of various elements in FIG. 1 have been skewed to provide clarity and simplicity
in the drawings. Similarly, the remaining figures should not be viewed as "to scale" either.
A voltage regulation module (VRM) 28 is shown in the embodiment of FIG.
1. However, generally any power supply module may be used in place of the VRM 28.
A power supply module may comprise any device coupled to receive input power (a
source voltage and current) and configured to output power at a desired voltage magnitude.
It is noted that the terms "bottom" and "top" have been used with regard to the
component 14. These terms may be used in a relative sense with regard to
the illustration in FIG. 1. Particularly, "bottom" and "top" may be relative to
the motherboard 10. For example, the bottom of the component 14 may
be the side that is nearest the motherboard 10 (or that faces the motherboard
10) or other circuit board that provides signal communication to the component
14. The top of the component 14 may be the opposite side of the component
14 than the bottom side. The motherboard 10 itself may, when installed
in a housing such as a computer case, be oriented horizontally, vertically, with
the component 14 upside down, etc., in various embodiments. The bottom and
top of the power board 16 may have a similar interpretation.
It is noted that, in some embodiments of the power board 16 having more
than one connector 24, the connectors may be arranged on various sides of
the component 14, outside of the heat sink keep out area. Any connectors
that are not on the same side of the component 14 as the VRM 28 may
be coupled to the VRM 28 with an electrical conductor (e.g. a ribbon cable
capable of carrying the current that is to pass through the connector).
Turning next to FIGS. 2 and 3, top and bottom views of one embodiment of
the power board 16 are shown. FIG. 2 is the top view, and FIG. 3 is the
bottom view.
A pair of connectors 24A-24B are shown attached to the top of the
power board 16. In the illustrated embodiment, each connector 24A-24B
may comprise four rows of 12 pins. Half of the pins may carry power supply voltage
(referred to as V
Core, herein), and the other half of the pins may carry
ground (or V
SS). For example, in one implementation, the outside half
of the pins (e.g. the 6 pins in each row that are nearest the outside edges of
the power board 16) may carry V
Core, and the remaining interior
pins may carry ground. The top side of the power board 16 may carry one
of the voltages, and the bottom side may carry the other. Either voltage may be
carried on either side, in various embodiments. For the remainder of this embodiment,
V
Core will be presumed to be carried on the top side of the power board
16 and ground on the bottom side of the power board 16. Thus, the
pins of the connectors 24A-24B the carry V
Core may be
connected to top side of the power board 16 and the remaining pins may pass
through the power board 16 to connect to the bottom side of the power board 16.
Additionally, the opening 40 to permit passage of the protrusion
of the heat sink 20 is shown in FIG. 2. A dotted box 42 illustrates
the outline of the component 14 when the power board 16 is in place
above the component 14. The dotted box 42 is shown merely for illustrative
purposes, and does not represent any physical structure on the power board 16.
Additionally, in some embodiments, a set of holes 44 may be provided to
permit passage of bolts or other fasteners that may be inserted through the heat
sink 20 and pass through the motherboard 10 to attach the heat sink
20 to the motherboard 10.
As FIG. 2 illustrates for this embodiment, the top side of the power board 16
does not include any circuitry in the area that the heat sink 20 will cover
(since the connectors 24A-24B are arranged outside the area covered
by the heat sink 20). Thus, the power board 16 may be relatively
resistant to damage when the heat sink 20 is installed.
FIG. 3 includes solder connections 46 for the pins of the connectors
24A-24B that supply the ground voltage (i.e. the interior pins, in
the illustrated embodiment). Other pins and the connectors 24A-24B
themselves, being on the top side of the power board 16, are shown in dotted
form for reference. The dotted box 42 is also shown in FIG. 3 for reference.
A plurality of conductive pads 48 are arranged inside the dotted box 42,
to be aligned to corresponding pads on the component 14 during use. In the
illustrated embodiment, the conductive pads 48 are arranged around the entire
perimeter of the dotted box 42. In other embodiments, additional conductive
pads 48 may be provided at various points around the interior of the dotted
box 42, as desired. For example, in one particular embodiment, 17 pads may
be provided along each edge of the component 14. The conductive pads may
be of any desired conductive material. For example, copper or a copper/beryllium
alloy is commonly used in conductive pads. The plurality of conductive pads 48
(and the corresponding conductive pads on the component 14) may have any
size, spacing, pitch, etc. as desired and to conform to any requirements of the
connector to be used between the two. For example, a pitch of 1-2 millimeters (mm)
may be typical currently (e.g. 1.27 mm or 1 mm, or even less than 1 mm).
One half of the conductive pads 48 may be used to make V
Core
connections to the component 14 (power pads), and the other half of the
conductive pads 48 may be used to make ground connections (ground pads).
In one embodiment, adjacent conductive pads 48 along one edge may alternate
between power pads and ground pads. That is, a first conductive pad may be assigned
to be a power pad, the next adjacent conductive pad may be a ground pad, the next
adjacent conductive pad to the ground pad may be another power pad, etc. Conductive
pads may be more succinctly referred to herein as "pads".
Those pads 48 that supply the V
Core voltage may be connected,
through vias in the power board 16 (not shown), to the top of the power
board 16, and may be insulated from the bottom of the power board 16.
Pads 48 that supply the ground may be connected to the bottom of the power
board 16.
In some embodiments, bypass capacitors and/or terminating resistors may be provided
on the bottom side of the power board 16 (e.g. reference numerals 50
and 52). For example, 1 microfarad bypass capacitors 50 may be arranged
around the outside of the dotted box 42 and 10 microfarad bypass capacitors
52 may be arranged around the inside of the conductive pads 48.
FIG. 4 is a top view of one embodiment of the component 14. The integrated
circuit 14A is shown atop the component package 14B. Arrayed around
the periphery of the top of the component package 14B are conductive pads
60. The conductive pads 60 are placed on the component package 14B
to align with the pads 48 on the circuit board 16 when the circuit
board 16 is in place above the component 16. Manufacturing variations
and skew between the circuit board 16 and the component 14 at insertion
may prevent perfect alignment, but the pads 60 and 48 may nominally
be designed to be aligned during use. Additionally, in some embodiments, the component
14 may include bypass capacitors 62 on the top of the component 14.
FIG. 5 is a side view of one embodiment of the power board 16. In the
illustrated embodiment, a two layer board is used. The top layer may comprise a
conductive plane 64 that carries the V
Core voltage during use,
and the bottom layer may comprise a conductive plane 66 the carries ground
(V
SS) during use. An insulating material 68 separates the two
planes. The conductive planes 64 and 66 may comprise any conductive
material. For example, 2 ounce copper may form the conductive planes 64
and 66. Other embodiments may use other amounts of copper (e.g. 1 ounce,
4 ounce, etc.). The insulator material 68 may be any generally non-conductive
material. For example, the insulator material 68 may comprise FR4 or prepreg
material commonly used in printed circuit boards. In some embodiments, FR4 may
be created from electrical alkali-free glass cloth that has been impregnated with
an epoxy resin under pressure and heat.
While FIG. 5 illustrates a 2 layer power board 16, other embodiments
may include additional layers. For example, in some embodiments, the current requirements
of the component 14 may be high enough that the I
2R voltage drop
across the single voltage plane 64 may cause too much variation in the V
Core
voltage supplied at the pads 48 that are farthest from the connectors 24A-24B
as compared to the V
Core voltage supplied at the pads 48 that
are nearest the connectors 24A-24B. In such cases, additional layers
may be used (separated by insulating materials) and a plurality of voltage planes
may be created on each layer to supply V
Core voltage to various pads
48. The voltage planes may be designed to provide connectivity for each
plane to an equal number of pins (for each plane) of the connectors 24A-24B
that supply V
Core voltage, and to approximate equalizing the I
2R
drop across each of the planes. Thus, planes to farther pads 48 (farther
from the connectors 24A-24B) may be larger, in area, than planes
to closer pads 48 (closer to the connectors 24A-24B).
FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a set of power planes for a four layer embodiment
(2 layers V
Core and 2 layers ground). Power supply pins of the connectors
24A-24B that are coupled to each plane are filled in, as shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7, for one embodiment. The pads are divided into eight zones, illustrated
as rectangular boxes labeled A through H. FIG. 6 illustrates planes for zones A,
B, G, and H (enclosed by dashed lines and labeled A plane, B Plane, G Plane, and
H plane, respectively). Similarly, FIG. 7 illustrates planes for zones C, D, E,
and F (enclosed by dashed lines and labeled C plane, D Plane, E Plane, and F plane,
respectively). The ground planes may be arrange similarly, or may be solid, single
planes per layer.
The above embodiment included a component 14 having power and ground pads
on a top of the component package 14B. In such embodiments, vias within
the component packet 14B couple the power and ground pads to power and ground
planes within the package 14B (which supply power and ground to the integrated
circuit 14A). These vias are typically smaller than vias in printed circuit
boards, and are often referred to as "microvias". The microvias may themselves
have current limits that may be exceeded by the current requirements of the integrated
circuit 14A. To eliminate the microvias, another embodiment is contemplated
in which power and ground pads are provided on the sides of the component package
14B. The pads may be inserted far enough into the sides of the component
package 14B to directly contact the power and ground planes in the interior
of the component package 14B. The pads may be made relatively large, and
thus may have higher current capabilities than the microvias.
FIG. 8 is a top view of one embodiment of the component 14 having power
and ground pads 70A-70H on the sides of the component package 14B.
Signal pins may still be provided on the bottom of the component 14, similar
to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7. Additionally, while one integrated circuit 14A
is shown, other embodiments may include more than one integrated circuit in a component 14.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, each side of the component 14
may include a pair of pads 70A-70H: one power (V
Core)
and
