Power module and method for assembling power module

Abstract

The power module includes: a first plate including a first surface and a second surface opposite each other and perpendicular to a bottom surface of the power module for mounting the power module to a circuit board, the bottom surface providing an electrical connection with the circuit board; a first charge pump assembly mounted on the first surface, the first charge pump assembly including a first power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage to an output voltage; and a first vertical heat sink structure disposed adjacent to the first charge pump assembly, the first charge pump assembly being disposed between the first vertical heat sink structure and the first plate.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 364,569, filed on May 12, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 364,674, filed on May 13, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to semiconductor and power electronics manufacturing. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to power modules and methods for assembling power modules. Background Art

[0004] Semiconductor packaging is widely used to protect integrated circuit (IC) chips and provide electrical interfaces to external circuit systems. With the increasing demand for smaller device sizes and higher power density, the packaging of power modules is designed to be more compact, where the circuit density increases. In power devices, power converters such as charge pump converters include switches and one or more capacitors that form a switching network to achieve power conversion and regulate output voltage or current by switching energy storage elements (e.g., capacitors and / or inductors) between different electrical configurations. Due to the high-power devices in the package, the die and associated passive components usually generate a lot of heat and cause thermal hot spots. Therefore, designing semiconductor packages with sufficient heat dissipation characteristics to remove the heat dissipated in each power device has become a challenge in the field. Summary of the invention

[0005] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a power module. The power module may include a first board, a first charge pump assembly, and a first vertical radiator structure. The first board may include a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other and perpendicular to the bottom surface of the power module, and the bottom surface is used to mount the power module to a circuit board. The bottom surface may provide an electrical connection to the circuit board. The first charge pump assembly may be mounted on the first surface. The first charge pump assembly may include a first power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage. The first vertical radiator structure may be arranged adjacent to the first charge pump assembly. The first charge pump assembly may be placed between the first vertical radiator structure and the first board.

[0006] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a power module. The power module may include a bottom surface for mounting the power module to a circuit board, and a plurality of circuit components stacked along a first direction parallel to the bottom surface. The circuit components may provide a plurality of charge pump circuits coupled in parallel and configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage.

[0007] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer device. The computer device may include a motherboard and a power supply unit. The power supply unit may be electrically coupled to the motherboard via an electrical connection to deliver power to one or more electrical devices on the motherboard, and includes a power module configured to convert input power into output power. The power module may include: a first board connected to a bottom surface providing an electrical connection to the motherboard, and including a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other and perpendicular to the bottom surface; a first charge pump assembly mounted on the first surface, the first charge pump assembly including a first power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage; and a first heat sink structure arranged adjacent to the first charge pump assembly, the first charge pump assembly being placed between the first heat sink structure and the first board.

[0008] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a power conversion circuit. The power conversion circuit may include multiple switch capacitor circuits coupled in parallel to convert a first voltage into a second voltage. One of the multiple switch capacitor circuits may include: multiple flying capacitors, multiple stacked switches coupled to the positive terminals of the multiple flying capacitors via multiple direct current (dc) nodes, and multiple phase switches coupled to the negative terminals of the multiple flying capacitors via the first phase node or the second phase node of the switch capacitor circuit. The switch capacitor circuit may be configured to switch between different states in response to the switching of multiple stack switches and multiple phase switches to convert the first voltage into a second voltage. Multiple switch capacitor circuits can be arranged in multiple circuit components in a power module, respectively, and the power module has a bottom surface for mounting the power module to a circuit board and providing an electrical connection. Multiple circuit components can be stacked along a first direction parallel to the bottom surface.

[0009] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for assembling a power module. The method may include: mounting a first charge pump assembly on a first surface of a first board, the first charge pump assembly including a first power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage, mounting the first board and positioning the first surface perpendicular to a bottom surface of the power module.

[0010] Additional features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be partially set forth in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the description, or may be learned through practice of the embodiments. The features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments may be realized and obtained through the elements and combinations set forth in the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Embodiments and various aspects of the present disclosure are shown in the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, according to standard industry practice, various features are not necessarily drawn to scale. In fact, the size of various features can be arbitrarily increased or reduced for the sake of clarity of discussion.

[0012] Figure 1 is a side view of an exemplary power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 is a side view of an exemplary power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 3 is a side view of an exemplary computer device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating an exemplary power conversion circuit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary charge pump assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating another exemplary charge pump assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B is a diagram showing an exemplary power module assembled as a module external to a customer PCB according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B is a diagram illustrating an exemplary power module using surface mounting according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] 9A to 9D is a diagram illustrating an exemplary lead trimming and forming process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B is a diagram illustrating an exemplary package assembly using serrated edge plated leads according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 11A to FIG. 11G is a diagram illustrating exemplary stages in an embedded die package for implementing a power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] Fig.12 is a flow chart of a method for assembling a power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figures 13 to 20 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a method for assembling a power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig.12 A diagram of exemplary stages in a method of

[0025] Fig.21 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary power module as a final product according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] Fig. 22 is a flow chart of an alternative method for assembling a power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figures 23 to 31 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a method for assembling a power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 22 A diagram of exemplary stages in a method of

[0028] Fig.32 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary power module as a final product according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] Fig.33 is a flow chart of an alternative method for assembling a power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figures 34 to 41 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a method for assembling a power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig.33 A diagram of exemplary stages in a method of

[0031] Fig.42 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary power converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 43A to FIG. 43D is a diagram showing an exemplary structure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 44A to FIG. 44C is a diagram illustrating an exemplary passive device layer according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] Fig.44D is a diagram illustrating an exemplary active device layer with a molded interconnect substrate according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] Fig.45A is a diagram showing an exemplary structure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] Fig.45B , Fig.45C and Fig.45D According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, Fig.45A Side view, bottom view and top view of the relative spatial arrangement of switches and capacitors formed in the structure.

[0037] Fig.46is a diagram illustrating another exemplary structure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] Fig.47 is a diagram illustrating another exemplary structure including a heat sink layer according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following disclosure provides many exemplary embodiments or examples for implementing the different features of the provided subject matter. Specific simplified examples of components and arrangements are described below to illustrate the present disclosure. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and / or letters in various examples. This repetition is for simplicity and clarity and does not itself specify the relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations discussed.

[0040] The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinary meanings in the art and in the specific context in which each term is used. The use of examples in this specification (including examples of any term discussed herein) is merely illustrative and in no way limits the scope and meaning of the present disclosure or any exemplified term. Likewise, the present disclosure is not limited to the various embodiments given in this specification.

[0041] Although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of the embodiment, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element may be referred to as the first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more items in the associated listed items.

[0042] Additionally, for ease of description, spatially relative terms (e.g., "below," "beneath," "below," "above," "above," etc.) may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may be interpreted similarly accordingly.

[0043] In this document, the term “coupled” may also be referred to as “electrically coupled”, and the term “connected” may be referred to as “electrically connected.” “Coupled” and “connected” may also be used to indicate that two or more elements cooperate or interact with each other.

[0044] Various embodiments of the present disclosure, i.e., charge pump circuits, will be described with respect to embodiments in a specific context. As used in the present disclosure, the term "charge pump" refers to a switched capacitor network configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage. Examples of such charge pumps include cascade multiplier switched capacitor networks, Dickson switched capacitor networks, ladder switched capacitor networks, series-parallel switched capacitor networks, Fibonacci switched capacitor networks, and doubler switched capacitor networks, all of which can be configured as multiphase networks or single-phase networks. However, the concepts in the present disclosure may also be applicable to other types of power IC devices using 2.5D / 3D packaging technology.

[0045] In the context of the present disclosure, a power conversion circuit that converts a higher input voltage power supply to a lower output voltage level is generally referred to as a buck or decompression converter because the converter "decompresses" the input voltage. A power conversion circuit that converts a lower input voltage power supply to a higher output voltage level is generally referred to as a boost or boost converter because the converter "boosts" the input voltage. In addition, some power converters (commonly referred to as "decompression-boost converters") can be configured to convert an input voltage power supply to a wide range of output voltages, wherein the output voltage can be higher or lower than the input voltage. In various embodiments, the power converter can be bidirectional, and the power converter is a boost converter or a buck converter depending on how the power supply is connected to the converter. In some embodiments, an AC-DC power converter can be constructed, for example, according to a DC-DC power converter as follows: first, the AC input voltage is rectified to a DC voltage, and then the DC voltage is applied to the DC-DC power converter.

[0046] Integrated circuits (ICs) and semiconductor packages according to the present disclosure may be used alone or in combination with other components, circuits, devices, and packages. For example, the package may be combined with other components such as on a printed circuit board (PCB) to form a power module, a power converter device, a power supply system, or a portion of an end product such as a cellular phone, a laptop computer, or an electronic tablet, or to form a more advanced module or system that can be used in a wide variety of products, such as an energy management system for computing devices, industrial devices, medical devices, large-scale data centers, vehicle electrical systems in automotive applications, and the like.

[0047] Figure 1 is a side view of an exemplary power module 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As used herein, a power module may refer to a physical unit or device that contains electrical and electronic components of a power converter circuit. Figure 1In the power module 100 of the embodiment, the modules and ICs forming one or more charge pump circuits may be mounted vertically and stacked horizontally on a carrier or spaced apart on a carrier. Figure 1 As shown in , the power module 100 includes a carrier board 110, a first board 120, a first charge pump assembly 130, a second charge pump assembly 140, a first vertical heat sink structure 150, and a second vertical heat sink structure 160. In various embodiments, the first charge pump assembly 130 or the second charge pump assembly 140 may be a system-in-package (SiP) assembly, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0048] The carrier 110 includes a bottom surface 112 for mounting the power module 100 to a circuit board (e.g., a customer motherboard). The bottom surface can provide an electrical connection to the circuit board to receive and / or transmit power, data, or control signals, and interact with external circuits mounted on the circuit board or in other modules electrically coupled to the circuit board. For example, the carrier 110 can be connected to the circuit board via a groove having a gold contact, which can be used in various applications such as peripheral component express interconnect (PCIE) cards. In some embodiments, the carrier 110 can be configured to provide a planar grid array or a ball grid array on the bottom surface 112. In some other embodiments, the carrier 110 may include a lead frame structure. For example, the carrier 110 can provide a lead frame foot array on the bottom side using a through hole of a surface mount lead frame design. In some other embodiments, the power module 100 can also use a straight vertical coupling plate to horizontally mount the power module 100 to the motherboard.

[0049] The first plate 120 may be vertically mounted and connected to the carrier 110. Alternatively, the first plate 120 provides a first surface 122 and a second surface 124 that are opposite to each other and perpendicular to the bottom surface 112 of the carrier 110. Figure 1 As shown in , the first charge pump assembly 130 can be mounted on the first surface 122. The first charge pump assembly 130 may include a first power conversion circuit (e.g., a charge pump circuit) configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage. For example, the first board 120 may include a PCB laminate structure, and the first charge pump assembly 130 may include one or more tube cores and capacitors mounted on the PCB laminate structure. One or more tube cores may include a switching element (e.g., a power field effect transistor (FET)) for the charge pump circuit. In some embodiments, the first charge pump assembly 130 may also include one or more heat sink layers attached to the one or more tube cores.

[0050] The first board 120 and the first charge pump assembly 130 can also be implemented in different ways according to actual needs. For example, in some embodiments, the first board 120 may include a PCB laminate structure, and the first charge pump assembly 130 may include one or more bump dies attached to the PCB laminate structure. In some other embodiments, the first charge pump assembly 130 may include one or more dies embedded in the PCB laminate structure or one or more dies mounted on a lead frame. In some other embodiments, the first board 120 may be a rigid PCB portion of a rigid-flexible composite board. The rigid-flexible composite board is bent and mounted to the carrier 110.

[0051] Similarly, the second charge pump assembly 140 can be mounted on the second surface 124. The second charge pump assembly 140 may include a second power conversion circuit (e.g., another charge pump circuit) configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage. For example, the second charge pump assembly 140 may include one or more dies and capacitors mounted on a PCB laminate structure. In some embodiments, the first power conversion circuit in the first charge pump assembly 130 and the second power conversion circuit in the second charge pump assembly 140 may be electrically coupled to each other in parallel via electrical connection features included in the first board 120 and / or the carrier board 110. Other features of the second charge pump assembly 140 may be similar to those of the first charge pump assembly 130, and therefore are not repeated herein for the sake of brevity.

[0052] One or more heat sink structures may be arranged in the power module 100 to remove heat from the charge pump circuit. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the first vertical heat sink structure 150 is arranged adjacent to the first charge pump assembly 130 , and the second vertical heat sink structure 160 may be arranged adjacent to the second charge pump assembly 140 .

[0053] Thus, the first charge pump assembly 130 can be sandwiched between the first vertical heat sink structure 150 and the first plate 120. The second charge pump assembly 140 can be placed between the second vertical heat sink structure 160 and the first plate 120. By mounting and stacking / spacing the charge pump assemblies in the horizontal direction, additional heat sinks (e.g., vertical heat sink structures 150, 160) can be placed on each side of each charge pump module (e.g., the first charge pump assembly 130 or the second charge pump assembly 140). Compared to charge pump modules stacked in the vertical direction, in the power module 100, heat sinks can be equally attached to the charge pump assemblies or modules to avoid thermal imbalance issues (e.g., one charge pump assembly has a higher temperature than another charge pump assembly) that occur in traditional designs, where heat sinks are typically attached only to the topmost charge pump assembly in a vertical stacking approach.

[0054] Specifically, the vertical heat sink structures 150 and 160 can achieve uniform heat distribution (e.g., uniform heat distribution between charge pump components or modules) and efficient heat output. Because when there is a large thermal gradient, thermal imbalance may also cause current imbalance, so Figure 1 The power module 100 can improve thermal stability and reduce the required derating level during operation. The horizontal stacking design in the power module 100 is suitable for various applications that are highly sensitive to efficiency and thermal management but have low height sensitivity (e.g., 6 to 8 mm), such as power devices used in data centers, accelerator card applications, etc.

[0055] Additionally, the number of stacked charge pump assemblies may be increased to provide higher effective output power levels for high power output applications (eg, 200W to 300W or up to 1000W). Figure 2 is a side view of an exemplary power module 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 In the embodiment of the power module 200, the modules and ICs forming one or more charge pump circuits may also be mounted vertically and stacked horizontally on a carrier (eg, a motherboard) or spaced apart on the carrier. Figure 1 Compared to the power module 100 , the power module 200 may further include a second board 210 connected to the carrier board 110 and arranged parallel to the first board 120 , a third charge pump assembly 220 , a fourth charge pump assembly 230 and a third vertical heat sink structure 240 .

[0056] like Figure 2 As shown in , the second board 210 may provide a third surface 212 and a fourth surface 214 that are opposite to each other and perpendicular to the bottom surface 112 of the carrier board 110. The third charge pump assembly 220 may be mounted on the third surface 212, and the fourth charge pump assembly 230 may be mounted on the fourth surface 214. Similar to the first charge pump assembly 130 and the second charge pump assembly 140, the third charge pump assembly 220 may include a third power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage, and the fourth charge pump assembly 230 may include a fourth power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage. In some embodiments, the third power conversion circuit and the fourth power conversion circuit in the charge pump assemblies 220 and 230 may be electrically coupled in parallel with the first power conversion circuit and the second power conversion circuit in the charge pump assemblies 130 and 140 via electrical connection features included in the first board 120, the second board 210, and the carrier board 110.

[0057] The second vertical heat sink structure 160 may be disposed between the second charge pump assembly 140 and the third charge pump assembly 220. The third vertical heat sink structure 240 may be disposed adjacent to the fourth charge pump assembly 230, such that the fourth charge pump assembly 230 may be disposed between the third vertical heat sink structure 240 and the second plate 210.

[0058] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, Figure 1 and Figure 2 The arrangement shown in is merely an example and is not meant to limit the present disclosure. In various embodiments, three or more boards can be positioned and mounted vertically on a carrier board, wherein corresponding charge pump circuit components are mounted on one or both sides of the board to achieve a horizontal stacking arrangement of the charge pump circuit components. In other words, a plurality of circuit components (e.g., charge pump components 130, 140, 220, and 230) can be stacked along a first direction (e.g., x-direction) parallel to the bottom surface 112 of the carrier board 110. The circuit components provide a corresponding charge pump circuit coupled in parallel and configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage.

[0059] Specifically, the circuit components are mounted on a corresponding substrate (eg, a double-sided daughterboard such as a substrate) connected to the carrier 110 and aligned along a first direction (eg, an x-direction). Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first plate 120 and Figure 2 The charge pump assembly may be provided on a second board 210 in the carrier board 110. Each substrate may provide two surfaces (i.e., a first surface and a second surface) that are opposite to each other and perpendicular to the bottom surface 112 of the carrier board 110, and each circuit component may be mounted on one of the surfaces of the corresponding substrate. A plurality of heat sink structures may be provided in a stacked structure in the power module. Specifically, the heat sink structure may be placed between two adjacent circuit components along a first direction. In some embodiments, the charge pump assembly may be a molded assembly. In some other embodiments, the charge pump assembly may be non-molded.

[0060] Figure 3 3 is a side view of an exemplary computer device 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The computer device 300 may include a power supply unit 310 and a motherboard 320. The power supply unit 310 is electrically coupled to the motherboard 320 via an electrical connection to deliver power to one or more electrical devices (not shown) on the motherboard 320. The power supply unit 310 includes a power module configured to convert input power into output power to meet the voltage requirements of the electrical devices on the motherboard 320.

[0061] like Figure 3 As shown in Figure 2The power module 200 of the power supply unit 310 may also include: a carrier board 110, the bottom surface of which provides an electrical connection with the main board 320; a first board 120 and a second board 210, both of which may be connected to the carrier board 110. The first board 120 may include a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other and perpendicular to the bottom surface, wherein the first charge pump assembly 130 and the second charge pump assembly 140 may be mounted on the first surface and the second surface, respectively. The second board 210 may include a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other and perpendicular to the bottom surface, wherein the third charge pump assembly 220 and the fourth charge pump assembly 230 may be mounted on the third surface and the fourth surface, respectively. The charge pump assemblies 130, 140, 220 and 230 may respectively include corresponding power conversion circuits configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage. The first heat sink structure 150 may be arranged adjacent to the first charge pump assembly 130, so that the first charge pump assembly 130 may be placed between the first heat sink structure 150 and the first board 120. Second heat sink structure 160 may be placed between charge pump assemblies 140 and 220. Third heat sink structure 240 may be arranged adjacent to fourth charge pump assembly 230 such that fourth charge pump assembly 230 may be placed between third heat sink structure 240 and second plate 210.

[0062] and Figure 2 Compared with the power module 200, Figure 3 The power module in the power supply unit 310 may also include a horizontal heat sink structure 330, which is connected to the vertical heat sink structures 150, 160 and 240 to form a complete heat sink unit to promote heat transfer and improve the thermal balance between the module and the circuit components, thereby avoiding the thermal problems mentioned above. It can be understood that the heat sink structure in various embodiments can be easily scaled according to the number of substrates or charge pump units connected in parallel. In some embodiments, the heat sink unit of the power module can be directly connected to the system heat sink for heat dissipation. Figure 3 As shown in , the vertical heat sink structures 150, 160 and 240 can be configured to conduct the generated heat to the top (or bottom) of the power module. In some embodiments, the vertical heat sink structures 150, 160 and 240 can be discrete heat sinks used in conjunction with a heat sink from the back of the die to the heat sink. In some embodiments, the embedded die can integrate the heat sink structure into the packaging format. Thermal interface material (TIM) can be applied between the heat sink structures 150, 160 and 240 and the charge pump components 130, 140, 220 and 230 to eliminate thermal gaps. Thermally conductive epoxy can be used to reduce thermal interface resistance. In various embodiments, the heat sink can be a flat plate, or have a stamped and formed shape.

[0063] Figure 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating an exemplary power conversion circuit 400 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4 As shown in , in some embodiments, the power conversion circuit 400 can be a multi-phase switched capacitor circuit, such as a two-phase variation of a Dickson charge pump, also known as a cascade multiplier. In some embodiments, Figure 4 The power conversion circuit 400 can be used for Figures 1 to 3 Any of the charge pump components 130, 140, 220 and 230 in any of the power modules 100, 200 or 300, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. It should be understood that in various embodiments, the switched capacitor circuit can also be a single-phase or multi-phase circuit and is designed based on the desired conversion rate. Figure 4 In the embodiment of , a conversion ratio of 4:1 can be obtained. Generally, in the Dickson topology, different conversion ratios V1 / V2 (e.g., 3:1 conversion ratio, 5:1 conversion ratio, etc.) can be obtained by using different numbers of capacitors and different numbers of switches, where V1 is a first voltage (e.g., an input DC voltage) and V2 is a second voltage (e.g., an output DC voltage). As the magnitude of the desired conversion ratio increases, the number of capacitors and switches used in the power converter can increase.

[0064] exist Figure 4 In an embodiment, the power conversion circuit 400 may include a stack switch 410 (e.g., a power FET) for a first phase, a stack switch 420 (e.g., a power FET) for a second phase, a phase switch 430 (e.g., a power FET) shared by two phases, a first group of capacitors 440 including first capacitors C1A, C2A, and C3A associated with the first phase and connected to the stack switch 410, and a second group of capacitors 450 including second capacitors C1B, C2B, and C3B associated with the second phase and connected to the stack switch 420. The stack switch 410 associated with the first phase may include switches S1A, S2A, S3A, and S4A. The stack switch 420 associated with the second phase may include switches S1B, S2B, S3B, and S4B. The phase switch 430 may include switches S5, S6, S7, and S8. Thus, the power conversion circuit 400 provides a switch network that can cause a transition between a first state and a second state depending on which of the switches are open and which are closed. The first switch configuration can cause the switched capacitor network to transition from a first state to a second state. The second switch configuration causes the switched capacitor network to transition from the second state to the first state. As the switches cause the switched capacitor network to switch between these states, capacitors 440 and 450 can charge or discharge in a charge pump cycle to complete power conversion and transfer power from the power source to the load.

[0065] exist Figure 4 In the design shown, the switch network can include two switch chains, i.e., switches connected in series. Specifically, stacked switches S1A, S2A, S3A, and S4A can form a switch chain associated with a first phase, and stacked switches S1B, S2B, S3B, and S4B can form another switch chain associated with a second phase. Stacked switches S1A, S2A, S3A, and S4A can be coupled to the positive terminals of first capacitors C1A, C2A, and C3A associated with the first phase, respectively, via corresponding dc nodes. Similarly, stacked switches S1B, S2B, S3B, and S4B can be coupled to the positive terminals of second capacitors C1B, C2B, and C3B associated with the second phase, respectively, via corresponding dc nodes.

[0066] Phase switches S5 and S6 may be connected to negative terminals of the first capacitor C2A and the second capacitors C1B and C3B via the first phase node P1, and phase switches S7 and S8 may be connected to negative terminals of the first capacitors C1A, C3A, and the second capacitor C2B via the second phase node P2. In other words, the first phase node P1 may be coupled to negative terminals of a first subset of first capacitors (e.g., capacitor C2A) and a first subset of second capacitors (e.g., capacitors C1B and C3B), and the second phase node P2 may be coupled to negative terminals of a second subset of first capacitors (e.g., capacitors C1A and C3A) and a second subset of second capacitors (e.g., capacitor C2B).

[0067] During operation, Figure 4 The switches S1A, S2B, S3A, S4B, S6 and S7 marked as group 1 in FIG. Figure 4 The switches S1B, S2A, S3B, S4A, S5 and S8 marked as group 2 in the figure can be in complementary states. For example, in a first state, in response to a command from a controller circuit, switches S1A, S2B, S3A, S4B, S6 and S7 can be disconnected, while switches S1B, S2A, S3B, S4A, S5 and S8 can be closed. In a second state after the first state, in response to a command from a controller circuit, switches S1A, S2B, S3A, S4B, S6 and S7 can be closed, while switches S1B, S2A, S3B, S4A, S5 and S8 can be disconnected. In addition, there can be an idle time interval between the first state and the second state. During the idle time interval, all switches are disconnected, which ensures a clean transition between the two switch states. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the ratio or type of such a conversion circuit. In various embodiments, the buck or boost configuration can be applicable to all possible charge pump ratios.

[0068] In other embodiments, various circuit topologies may be used in the present disclosure to form different types of power conversion circuits, such as hybrid converters, resonant switched capacitor converters, or multi-level power converters including transistors, capacitors, and one or more inductors as energy storage elements, or converters having LC filters coupled to a switched capacitor network to facilitate adiabatic charging or discharging. In particular, hybrid converters such as multi-level power converters or series capacitor buck converters also include switched capacitor circuits combined with different topologies.

[0069] In some embodiments, one charge pump assembly mounted on one side of a corresponding substrate (e.g., first board 120 and second board 210) may include two or more integrated circuits (ICs). By providing power switches integrated into different packages, the overall wiring resistance may be reduced and improved power efficiency of the charge pump may be achieved.

[0070] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an exemplary charge pump assembly 500 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ease of understanding, Figure 1 The first charge pump assembly 130 in FIG. 1 is used as an example to illustrate a power conversion circuit (eg, a power conversion circuit) that is divided into two or more integrated circuits (ICs) as shown in the charge pump assembly 500. Figure 4 The charge pump assembly 500 may be applicable to any charge pump assembly discussed in the above embodiments.

[0071] like Figure 5 As shown, the charge pump assembly 500 may include a first integrated circuit (IC) 510 of a power conversion circuit, a second integrated circuit (IC) 520, and a flying capacitor 530 (eg, Figure 4 The first IC 510 and the second IC 520 may be mounted on the same surface (eg, the first surface 122). The first IC 510 may include Figure 4 A plurality of stacked switches (eg, Figure 4 The second IC 520 may be electrically connected to the first IC 510 via the bus bar 540. The second IC 520 may include Figure 4 The multiple phase switches (eg, Figure 4 The flying capacitor 530 may be coupled between the first integrated circuit 510 and the second integrated circuit 520.

[0072] Thus, the high current path from the flying capacitor 530 to the power switch can be minimized and the overall wiring resistance can be reduced. The power flow within the charge pump assembly 500 can be optimized via a shortened path from the power input to the power output on the carrier 110, via a shortened power input line 550 connected to the first IC 510, and a shortened power output line 560 connected to the second IC 520. Compared to connecting a single IC using a bus bar, the total copper loss of the power circuit can be reduced in the charge pump assembly 500 due to the reduced wiring resistance. In addition, the die size of the first IC 510 and the second IC 520 can be reduced accordingly, and the total cost of the first IC 510 and the second IC 520 can also be reduced compared to a single IC. In some embodiments, Figure 5 The charge pump assembly 500 in FIG. 5 may provide more available IC pins for interconnection by using separate ICs for the power FET devices.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first IC 510 may further include a controller configured to control the stack switches and phase switches in the first IC 510 and / or the second IC 520. In some other embodiments, the charge pump assembly 500 may also provide a controller in a separate IC having two FET IC dies with lateral FETs. For example, the controller in the separate IC may be mounted on another surface (e.g., a second surface 124 opposite to the first surface 122) and configured to control the stack switches and phase switches in the first IC 510 and / or the second IC 520. In various embodiments, other FET partitioning arrangements may be considered to achieve optimized performance according to actual needs.

[0074] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating another exemplary charge pump assembly 600 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5 In the charge pump assembly 500, in the charge pump assembly 600, the power conversion circuit (eg, Figure 4 The power conversion circuit 400 in the power conversion circuit 400) can be divided into two or more ICs 610 and IC 620. In some embodiments, one or more of IC 610 and IC 620 can use a flip chip on a lead frame (FCOL) semiconductor packaging structure. The charge pump assembly 600 can be applicable to any charge pump assembly discussed in the above embodiments. Specifically, the charge pump assembly 600 can include a first IC 610 of the power conversion circuit, a second IC 620, and a flying capacitor 630 (for example, Figure 4 The first IC 610 and the second IC 620 may be mounted on the same surface (eg, the first surface 122). The first IC 610 may include Figure 4A plurality of stacked switches (eg, Figure 4 The second IC 620 may be electrically connected to the first IC 610 via the bus bar 640. The second IC 620 may include Figure 4 The multiple phase switches (eg, Figure 4 The flying capacitor 630 may be coupled between the first IC 610 and the second IC 620.

[0075] and Figure 5 Compared with IC 510 and IC 520, which are aligned in the middle level, Figure 6 The IC 610 and IC 620 in the charge pump assembly 600 are arranged vertically. In some embodiments, the IC 620 including the phase FET is placed at the bottom, and the IC 610 including the stacked FET is placed at the top. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the distance between the first IC 610 and the bottom surface 112 is greater than the distance between the second IC 620 and the bottom surface 112. In addition, the charge pump assembly 600 can provide: two power input lines 632, 634, which connect the carrier 110 to the first IC 610, for receiving an input voltage (e.g., Figure 4 and two power output lines 642, 644, which connect the second IC 620 to the carrier 110, for outputting the first output voltage and the second output voltage output by the second IC620 to the carrier 110 respectively (eg, Figure 4 The second voltage V2 in the circuit).

[0076] Similar to Figure 5 In some other embodiments, the charge pump assembly 500 may also provide a controller at the back of the board (e.g., mounted on another surface (e.g., a second surface 124 opposite to the first surface 122)) to control the stack switches and phase switches in the first IC 610 and / or the second IC 620. Other FET partitioning arrangements may also be considered to achieve optimized performance according to actual needs. Therefore, optimized thermal performance can be achieved by optimal positioning of discrete FETs, which allows higher power output during operation without triggering overheating or thermal imbalance.

[0077] It should be noted that in various embodiments of the present disclosure, interconnection can be achieved in various ways. For example, in some embodiments, multiple vertical charge pump layers can be arranged perpendicular to the main PCB. The die and passive components can be surface mounted on the PCB laminate on one side or both sides. In SiP or module format, the die and passive components can be molded or non-molded. In some other embodiments, the die can be an embedded die in a laminate with a raised edge on the bottom horizontal edge, or an embedded die in a laminate that is surface mounted on a vertical surface using a planar grid array or a ball grid array. In some other embodiments, the die and passive components can also be mounted on a multi-chip module lead frame assembly. In some embodiments, the vertical coupling board (e.g., the first board and the second board) for charge pump and circuit interconnection can be a discrete board in SiP, SMT and lead frame formats. The die and passive components are integrated into a laminated PCB. The heavy copper metal layer of the PCB can be used as a heat sink to provide a vertical heat dissipation path.

[0078] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B is a diagram showing exemplary power modules 700A and 700B assembled as modules external to a customer PCB according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 7A and Figure 7B In some embodiments, standard surface mount technology (SMT) processes can be applied to the components. In some embodiments, the carrier 110 can be connected to the customer PCB 710 using a land grid array (LGA) or a ball grid array (BGA). In some embodiments, various wire leads or leadless soldering can be used. Fig. 7A In the embodiment of the present invention, the shaped leads 720 can be used without a carrier PCB. Figure 7B In the embodiment of the present invention, when internal and / or external leadless interconnection is required, the carrier PCB 730 is used. Fig. 7A and Figure 7B As shown, power modules 700A and 700B may include a die 702 , interconnects 704 , and structures 706 embedded in the first board 120 and the second board 210 , and use embedded die packaging technology.

[0079] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B is a diagram showing exemplary power modules 800A and 800B using surface mounting according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a-EASI packaging can be suitable for power electronics applications to reduce power loss and high heat dissipation. The metal lead frame using a-EASI can provide a short connection path for chip placement and achieve high heat dissipation. Fig. 8A and Figure 8BAs shown in , power modules 800A and 800B may be molded to provide an embedded die 702 and a lead frame with exposed and plated leads 820. Figure 8B As shown in , the heat sink structure 830 may also be exposed to promote heat dissipation, and the SMT process may be used to mount the power module 800B on the mainboard 840 .

[0080] 9A to 9D is a diagram illustrating an exemplary lead trimming and forming process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, copper alloys and large-gauge lead frames can be used for lead manufacturing. After the IC assembly and molding process, leads for surface mount or through-hole components can be formed and trimmed. 9A to 9D As shown in , the package assembly can be manufactured in a strip form. In some embodiments, the package can be a wafer level chip scale package (WLCSP). Fig. 9A A package assembly applying through-the-board technology is shown, in which leads on a lead frame 920 are inserted through holes in a PCB 910 . Fig. 9B 9 shows a package assembly using lead-on-board technology, where the leads on a lead frame 920 are mounted on a PCB 910. Fig. 9C As shown in , the package assembly can apply lead through board technology to obtain leads that provide electrical connection to PCB 910. After the assembly and molding process is completed, as shown in Fig.9D As shown in , a bending and trimming process can be applied to form the shape of the lead.

[0081] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B is a diagram showing an exemplary package assembly using serrated edge plated leads according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 10A As shown in the top view, bottom view and different side views of PCB 1010, a serration 1012 (or a serrated edge, plated holes on the edge of the board, plated half holes, etc.) may be included along the edge of PCB 1010, which allows electrical connection to another board through the side edge of PCB 1010. Fig. 10B 1 shows a top view and a bottom view of an exemplary package assembly 1000, which uses PCBs 1010 and 1020 having a tooth shape 1012 as the first board and the second board in a stacked structure to implement the power module discussed in the above embodiments. Fig. 10B As shown, charge pump components 1030 , 1040 , 1050 , and 1060 are mounted on corresponding surfaces of double-sided PCBs 1010 and 1020 .

[0082] FIG. 11A to FIG. 11D is a diagram illustrating exemplary stages in an embedded die package for implementing a power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 11A to FIG. 11D In the embodiment, a P2 structure is provided. Fig.11A As shown in FIG. 1 , in an embedded die substrate 1110, a semiconductor die 1112 may be embedded within a PCB material and / or a lead frame during the formation of the substrate 1110. The semiconductor die 1112 may be electrically connected to other components on or in the substrate through copper plated through-holes and conductive traces of the substrate 1110. A heat sink structure 1114 may also be embedded to achieve high heat dissipation. Fig.11A As shown in , another semiconductor die 1120 can be mounted on the embedded die substrate 1110. Then, as Fig. 11B As shown in , an underfill material 1122 may be deposited in the gap between the die 1120 and the substrate 1110 to obtain a stacked unit.

[0083] like Fig. 11C As shown in , in another embedded die substrate 1130, a semiconductor die 1132 can be embedded within a PCB material and / or a lead frame during the formation of the substrate 1130. The semiconductor die 1132 can be electrically connected to other components on or in the substrate through the copper-plated through-holes and conductive traces of the substrate 1130. A heat sink structure 1134 can also be embedded to achieve high heat dissipation. The semiconductor die 1140 can be mounted on the embedded die substrate 1130, wherein a bottom fill material 1142 is deposited in the gap between the die 1140 and the substrate 1130 to obtain another stacked unit. The semiconductor die 1120 and the semiconductor die 1140 can be attached to opposite surfaces of the heat sink structure 1150 via thermal interface materials (TIMs) 1152, 1154. As shown Fig.11D As shown in FIG. 1 , the heat sink structure 1160 may be mounted to the embedded die substrates 1110 , 1130 and the heat sink structure 1150 via the TIM 1162 , and the embedded die substrates 1110 , 1130 may be mounted to a carrier 1170 to form a power module.

[0084] FIG. 11E to FIG. 11G is a diagram showing exemplary stages in an embedded die package for implementing a power module according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 11E to FIG. 11G In the embodiment of the present invention, a P3 structure is provided. Fig.11EAs shown in , in the P3 structure, two semiconductor dies 1182 and 1184 can be embedded in the PCB material and / or lead frame during the formation of the embedded die substrate 1180. The semiconductor dies 1182 and 1184 can be attached to the opposite surfaces of the heat sink structure 1186 embedded in the substrate 1180 to achieve high heat dissipation. Two semiconductor dies 1192 and 1194 can be mounted on the opposite surfaces of the embedded die substrate 1180 and coupled to the embedded semiconductor dies 1182 and 1184, respectively. Similarly, the bottom fill material can be deposited in the gap between the semiconductor dies 1192 and 1194 and the substrate 1180.

[0085] like Fig.11F As shown in , semiconductor die 1192 and semiconductor die 1194 can be attached to heat sink structures 1156 and 1158 via thermal interface materials (TIM) 1188a, 1188b, respectively. Fig.11G As shown in FIG. 1 , the heat sink structure 1196 can be mounted to the embedded die substrate 1180 and the heat sink structures 1156, 1158 via a TIM. The carrier 1170 can also be mounted to the embedded die substrate 1180 and the heat sink structures 1156 and 1158 to form a power module. It should be understood that the above FIG. 11A to FIG. 11G The operations and structures discussed in the embodiments are simplified examples for ease of understanding and are not meant to limit the present disclosure.

[0086] Fig.12 is a flow chart of a method 1200 for assembling a power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that Fig.12 Additional operations may be performed before, during, and / or after the method 1200 depicted in the drawings, and some other processes may only be briefly described herein. The method 1200 may be performed to assemble a power module with a charge pump device having an improved power density, such as the above Figures 1 to 11G Any power module shown in the embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Figures 13 to 20 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a method for assembling a power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig.12 12 is a diagram of exemplary stages in method 1200. Method 1200 includes operations 1210 through 1230.

[0087] In operation 1210, a first charge pump assembly may be mounted on a first surface of a first board. The first charge pump assembly may include a first power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage. Fig.13 As shown in , in some embodiments, an IC 1310 forming a first power conversion circuit and a terminal block 1320 of a first charge pump assembly may be mounted on a first surface 1332 of a first board 1330 .

[0088] In operation 1212, a second charge pump assembly may be mounted on a second surface of the first board. The second charge pump assembly may include a second power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage, and the first surface and the second surface are opposite to each other. Fig.14 As shown in , the first board 1330 may be a double-sided daughter board, and an IC 1410 forming a second power conversion circuit and a terminal block 1420 of a second charge pump assembly are mounted at corresponding positions on a second surface 1334 of the first board 1330 .

[0089] In operation 1214, a third charge pump assembly may be mounted on a third surface of the second board. In operation 1216, a fourth charge pump assembly may be mounted on a fourth surface of the second board. Similar to the first charge pump assembly and the second charge pump assembly in operations 1210 and 1212 above, the third charge pump assembly may include a corresponding third power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage. The fourth charge pump assembly may include a fourth power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage, and the third surface and the fourth surface are opposite to each other. Fig.15 As shown in FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, the IC 1315 forming the third power conversion circuit and the terminal block 1325 of the third charge pump assembly can be mounted on one surface of the second board 1340, and the IC 1415 forming the fourth power conversion circuit and the terminal block 1425 of the fourth charge pump assembly can be mounted on the opposite surface of the second board 1340. The mounting process is similar to FIG. Fig.13 and Fig.14 The installation process of the first charge pump assembly and the second charge pump assembly is shown in FIG. 1 , and therefore the detailed discussion will not be repeated herein.

[0090] In operation 1218, a first heat sink structure may be attached to place the first charge pump assembly between the first heat sink structure and the first plate. In operation 1220, a second heat sink structure may be attached to place the second charge pump assembly between the second heat sink structure and the first plate. Fig.15 As shown in , the first heat sink structure 1510 and the second heat sink structure 1520 can be attached to the corresponding charge pump components. Fig.15 In an embodiment, a second heat sink structure 1520 may also be attached to place a third charge pump assembly between the second heat sink structure 1520 and the second plate 1340, and a third heat sink structure 1530 may be attached to place a fourth charge pump assembly between the third heat sink structure 1530 and the second plate 1340. Fig.15In the embodiment of the present invention, a thermal interface material (TIM) 1540 may be applied between a heat source surface (eg, ICs 1310, 1410, 1315, and 1415) and a heat sink structure (eg, heat sink structures 1510, 1520, and 1530) to effectively dissipate heat from the heat source.

[0091] like Fig.16 As shown in FIG. 1 , in operation 1222, a molding process may be performed to mold the resin 1610 to obtain a molded product. Then, as shown in FIG. Fig.17 As shown in FIG. 1 , in operation 1224, the molded product 1700 may be cut into individual packages having charge pump circuits. Fig.18 As shown in , in the package mounting process of operation 1226, the obtained module 1810 can be mounted to the carrier 1820. Specifically, the first board 1330 can be mounted on the carrier 1820 of the power module, and the first surface can be positioned perpendicular to the bottom surface of the carrier 1820. The second board 1340 can also be mounted on the carrier 1820, and the third surface can be perpendicular to the bottom surface of the carrier 1820. In various embodiments, the first board 1330 and the second board 1320 can also be mounted on the carrier 1820 by using a planar grid array or a ball grid array or by using a lead frame structure.

[0092] like Fig.19 As shown in FIG. 1 , in operation 1228, the horizontal heat sink structure 1910 may be adhered and connected to the vertical heat sink structures 1510, 1520, and 1530. Similarly, a thermal interface material (TIM) 1920 may be applied between the horizontal heat sink structure 1910 and the module 1810 including the heat sink structures 1510, 1520, and 1530 to effectively dissipate heat from the heat source. Finally, in operation 1230, as shown in FIG. Fig. 20 As shown, the carrier board 1820 may be cut to obtain the final power module. Fig.21 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary power module 2100 as a final product according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0093] Fig. 22 is a flow chart of an alternative method 2200 for assembling a power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig.12 In method 1200, it is possible to Fig. 22 Additional operations may be performed before, during, and / or after the method 2200 depicted in the drawings, and some other processes may only be briefly described herein. The method 2200 may also be performed to assemble a power module with a charge pump device having an improved power density, for example, the above Figures 1 to 11G Any power module shown in the embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Figures 23 to 31FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a method for assembling a power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 22 2200. The method 2200 includes operations 2210 through 2226.

[0094] In operations 2210 and 2212, respectively, Fig.23 and Fig.24 As shown in , similar to operations 1210 and 1220 in method 1200, a first charge pump component (e.g., die 2310) can be mounted on a first surface 2322 of a first board 2320, and a second charge pump component (e.g., die 2410) can be mounted on a second surface 2324 on an opposite side of the first board 2320. In operation 2214, as Fig.25 As shown in , bottom fill material 2510 can be deposited in the gap between tube core 2310 and 2410 and first plate 2320. In operation 2216, as Fig.26 As shown in , the first board 2320 can be cut to obtain one or more stacked units having the charge pump components mounted on both sides of the substrate.

[0095] In operation 2218, if Fig. 27 As shown in , a plurality of slots 2710 and 2720 may be mounted and positioned at appropriate locations on a carrier plate 2730. Then, in operation 2220, as shown in FIG. Fig.28 As shown in , the stacking units 2810 and 2820 may be mounted to the carrier 2730 by inserting the corresponding substrates 2812 and 2822 into the slots 2710 and 2720 on the carrier 2730 .

[0096] In operation 2222, if Fig.29 As shown in , a heat sink unit 2910 may be assembled. The heat sink unit 2910 may include vertical heat sink structures 2912, 2914, and 2916 that are parallel to each other, and a horizontal heat sink structure 2918 that connects the vertical heat sink structures 2912, 2914, and 2916. Fig.29 In the embodiment of the present invention, a thermal interface material (TIM) 2920 may be applied between the horizontal heat sink structure 2918 and the vertical heat sink structure 2914 .

[0097] In operation 2224, if Fig.30 As shown in , the heat sink unit 2910 can be adhered and attached to the carrier 2730 to place the first plate (e.g., substrate 2812) between the first heat sink structure 2912 and the second heat sink structure 2914, and the second plate (e.g., substrate 2822) between the second heat sink structure 2914 and the third heat sink structure 2916. Fig.30In the embodiment, a thermal interface material (TIM) 3010 may be applied between the stacking units 2810 and 2820 and the heat sink unit 2910 and between the heat sink unit 2910 and the carrier board 2730 .

[0098] In operation 2226, if Fig.31 As shown in , the carrier board 2730 can be cut to obtain the final power module. Fig.32 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary power module 3200 as a final product according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0099] Fig.33 is a flow chart of an alternative method 3300 for assembling a power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig.12 In method 1200, it is possible to Fig.33 Additional operations may be performed before, during, and / or after the method 3300 depicted in the drawings, and some other processes may only be briefly described herein. The method 3300 may also be performed to assemble a power module with a charge pump device having an improved power density, for example, the above Figures 1 to 11G Any power module shown in the embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Figures 34 to 41 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a method for assembling a power module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig.33 Diagram of exemplary stages in method 3300.

[0100] Method 3300 includes operations 3310 to 3318. In operation 3310, as Fig.34 As shown in , the charge pump components can be mounted on both sides of a rigid-flexible composite board (e.g., a rigid-flexible composite PCB) to form stacked units 3402 and 3404. Specifically, a first charge pump component (e.g., die 3412) can be mounted on a first surface 3422 of a first board 3420, and a second charge pump component (e.g., die 3414) can be mounted on a second surface 3424 at an opposite side of the first board 3420 to form the stacked unit 3402. A third charge pump component (e.g., die 3432) can be mounted on a third surface 3442 of a second board 3440, and a fourth charge pump component (e.g., die 3434) can be mounted on a fourth surface 3444 of the second board 3440 to form the stacked unit 3404. In Fig.34 In the embodiment of the present invention, the first board 3420 and the second board 3440 may be rigid PCB parts of the rigid-flexible composite board 3450 and connected via the flexible part of the rigid-flexible composite board 3450. Alternatively, the first board 3420 and the second board 3440 may be connected to the rigid-flexible composite board 3450.

[0101] In operation 3312, as Fig.35As shown in , the rigid-flex composite board 3450 can be mounted on the carrier board 3510 by using one or more solder pins 3520. For example, the solder pins 3520 can be micro solder pins, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In operation 3314, as shown in FIG. Fig.36 As shown in , the rigid-flexible composite board 3450 may be folded to position the first board 3420 and the second board 3440 perpendicular to the bottom surface of the carrier board 3510 .

[0102] In operation 3316, if Fig.37 As shown in , the heat sink unit 3710 can be adhered and attached to the carrier 3510 to place the first plate 3420 between the first heat sink structure 3712 and the second heat sink structure 3714, and to place the second plate 3440 between the second heat sink structure 3714 and the third heat sink structure 3716. Fig.37 In operation 3318, thermal interface material (TIM) 3720 may be applied between heat sink unit 3710 and stacked units 3402, 3404, and heat sink unit 3710 may be bonded to a suitable position in a groove or holder in carrier 3510. Then, in operation 3318, carrier 3510 may be cut to obtain a final power module. In some other embodiments, such as Fig.38 As shown in , thermal planes can also be used in the device PCB to conduct heat away from heat-generating components and are incorporated at appropriate locations in the slots in the carrier 3510. Fig.39 A side view of an exemplary power module 3900 using a thermal plane for heat dissipation is shown.

[0103] In some other embodiments, the rigid-flexible composite board may also be a rigid-flexible composite board with an intermediate interconnection, wherein the intermediate portion of the rigid-flexible composite board is replaced by a substrate. Fig.40 and Fig.41 As shown in Figure 34 to Figure 39 Compared with the implementation method, Fig.40 and Fig.41 The rigid-flexible composite board 3450 may also include an intermediate rigid portion 4010, which is connected to the stacking units 3402 and 3404 via the corresponding flexible portions 4020 and 4030 of the rigid-flexible composite board 3450. Fig.40 As shown in , the components and dies can first be attached horizontally to the rigid-flex composite board 3450. Fig.41 As shown in , the rigid-flexible composite board 3450 can then be folded and mounted on the carrier board 3510 by attaching the middle rigid portion 4010 to the carrier board 3510, positioning the first board 3420 and the second board 3440 perpendicular to the bottom surface of the carrier board 3510, and attaching the heat sink unit 3710 to the carrier board 3510. Fig.40 and Fig.41The detailed operation of the power module shown in is similar to that of Figure 34 to Figure 39 The detailed operation of the power module is discussed in the implementation scheme of FIG. 1 and is therefore not repeated herein.

[0104] Fig.42 4200 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary power converter 4200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig.42 As shown in , the power converter 4200 may include a plurality of circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c coupled to each other, which provide parallel coupling and are configured to convert an input voltage V1 into an output voltage V2. The power converter 4200 may be formed by the structure of the power module discussed in the various embodiments above, wherein a bottom surface for mounting the power module to a circuit board is provided, and the circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c are stacked along a first direction parallel to the bottom surface. In some embodiments, a power module may include one or more of the circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c. It should be noted that the number of circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c may be different in different embodiments, and Fig.42 These are simplified examples and are not meant to limit the present disclosure.

[0105] Circuit assembly 4210a may include a switched capacitor circuit 4212 (also referred to as a charge pump circuit) and a controller circuit 4214 configured to control the operation of the switched capacitor circuit 4212. Specifically, controller circuit 4214 may include control circuitry, timing circuitry, protection circuitry, and gate drivers, among other components, configured to operate a switch, which in turn may change the electrical configuration of the switched capacitor circuit 4212 between a first mode / state or a second mode / state.

[0106] exist Fig.42 In embodiments, the power converter 4200 can be configured to receive energy from a voltage source 4202 at an input voltage V1 between input terminals V1p and V1n, respectively, and transmit the energy to an output load 4204 at an output voltage V2 between output terminals V2p and V2n, respectively. In some embodiments, the input voltage V1 can be higher than the output voltage V2. Each of the circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c can include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a switched capacitor circuit 4212) configured to convert the input voltage V1 into an output voltage V2. Fig.42As shown in the embodiment, by using multiple power modules (e.g., including multiple circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c) having input terminals V1p and V1n of the switched capacitor circuit connected together and output terminals V2p and V2n of the switched capacitor circuit connected together in the power converter 4200, the power converter 4200 can achieve a higher rated power based on low-cost and low-rated power devices. Therefore, the modular design also provides flexibility and scalability of the power conversion circuit to meet different requirements in power supply systems in various applications.

[0107] In some embodiments, circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c may include corresponding switch capacitor circuits 4212 and separate controller circuits 4214, respectively, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the switch capacitor circuits 4212 in circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c may be controlled by an external master controller coupled to circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c. In some other embodiments, the power converter 4200 may include an internal master controller (e.g., controller circuit 4214 in circuit component 4210a) and one or more slave controllers (e.g., controller circuits 4214 in circuit components 4210b and 4210c) configured to communicate with the internal master controller. In addition, one or more power modules in the power converter 4200 may support a power management bus (PMBUS) communication protocol, while the remaining power modules are "light" power modules with a simpler design without PMBUS and / or telemetry circuits.

[0108] In some embodiments, the controller circuit 4214 can be fabricated on a semiconductor substrate such as silicon, gallium nitride (GaN), silicon on insulator (SOI), silicon on sapphire (SOS), silicon on glass (SOG), silicon on quartz (SOQ), and other substrates using semiconductor processing technology compatible with complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) fabrication. The controller circuit 4214 can be physically integrated with the switches in the switch capacitor circuit 4212 on the same substrate (e.g., an on-chip configuration) or as an off-chip component configured to operate the switches in the switch capacitor circuit 4212.

[0109] like Fig.42As shown in, in some embodiments, the input terminals V1p, V1n and output terminals V2p, V2n of the switch capacitor circuit 4212 in each circuit component 4210a, 4210b and 4210c can be coupled. In addition, some input terminals of the controller circuit 4214 (such as a PG terminal for receiving a "power good" (PG) signal or a CLK terminal for receiving a clock signal) can also be coupled in parallel so that the circuit components 4210a, 4210b and 4210c can receive the same PG signal and the same clock signal. Some other terminals (such as I / O pins IOin and IOout of circuit components 4210a, 4210b and 4210c) can be coupled in series to facilitate circuit operation. In the present disclosure, the terms "node" and "terminal" can be used interchangeably.

[0110] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c including charge pump circuits may be stacked horizontally and mounted vertically in a package to provide high power density for the power converter 4200. In other words, circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c may be disposed in a power module having a bottom surface of a carrier for mounting the power module to a circuit board and providing electrical connections. Circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c may be stacked along a first direction parallel to the bottom surface of the carrier.

[0111] Thus, circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c may form a power conversion circuit including a plurality of switched capacitor circuits 4212 coupled in parallel to convert a first voltage (eg, input voltage V1) into a second voltage (eg, output voltage V2).

[0112] As previously in Figure 4 As discussed in the embodiments of the present invention, the switched capacitor circuit 4212 may include a plurality of flying capacitors (eg, Figure 4 440 and 450 in the embodiment of the present invention), a plurality of stacked switches (eg, coupled to the positive terminals of the plurality of flying capacitors via a plurality of dc nodes) Figure 4 410 and 420 in the stack), and a plurality of phase switches (eg, Figure 4 The switched capacitor circuit 4212 is configured to transition between different states in response to switching of the plurality of stack switches and the plurality of phase switches to convert the first voltage into the second voltage.

[0113] In various embodiments, components within the switched capacitor circuit 4212 may also be arranged in a stacked configuration. Fig.43A4300a according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The structure 4300a can be used to implement the switched capacitor circuit 4212. Fig.43A As shown in , a plurality of layers 4310 to 4350 are stacked, for example, along a z direction perpendicular to the substrate. Specifically, structure 4300a includes active device layers 4310, 4330, and 4350 and passive device layers 4320 and 4340. The stacking configuration may include alternating active device layers 4310, 4330, and 4350 and passive device layers 4320 and 4340 stacking, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0114] In some embodiments, the active device layers 4310, 4330, and 4350 may include switching elements (eg, Figure 4 The stacked switches 410, 420, and 430 may be implemented by field effect transistors, bipolar junction transistors, diodes, or other electrical devices. In some embodiments, one or more of the active device layers 4310, 4330, and 4350 may also include a control circuit system (e.g., a control circuit system) fabricated on the same semiconductor substrate as the switch elements. Fig.42 In some embodiments, the passive device layers 4320 and 4340 may include passive devices including capacitors (e.g., Figure 4 The substrate may include, but is not limited to, glass, quartz, silicon, SOI, SOS, SOG, SOQ, ceramic (aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, sapphire) or composite materials and other substrate materials.

[0115] In structure 4300a, passive device layer 4320 is disposed between active device layer 4310 and active device layer 4330. Specifically, passive device layer 4320 is stacked above active device layer 4310, which may be a bottom layer. Active device layer 4330 is stacked above passive device layer 4320. In some embodiments, active device layer 4310 includes a first switch (e.g., Figure 4 The passive device layer 4320 may include a first capacitor (eg, a stacked switch 410 associated with a first phase). Figure 4The active device layer 4330 may include a second switch (e.g., a phase switch shared by the first phase and the second phase). The stack switch in the active device layer 4310 and the phase switch in the active device layer 4330 may be interconnected with the first capacitor in the passive device layer 4320 by providing a conductive feature (e.g., a contact portion) to form a switched capacitor circuit (e.g., a charge pump circuit) for the first phase. As previously described in the above embodiments, the switched capacitor circuit transitions between at least two states in response to switching of the stack switch and the phase switch. In some embodiments, the first capacitor and the second capacitor may be multilayer ceramic capacitors.

[0116] Similarly, passive device layer 4340 is disposed between active device layer 4330 and active device layer 4350 to form a switched capacitor circuit for the second phase. Thus, the phase switch in active device layer 4330 can be shared by two phases and interconnected with capacitors in different passive device layers 4320 and 4340. Specifically, passive device layer 4340 is stacked above active device layer 4330, and active device layer 4350, which may be the top layer, is stacked above passive device layer 4340. As used herein, a "bottom" layer is the layer closest to the substrate that provides an electrical interface, while a "top" layer is the layer farthest from the substrate.

[0117] Active device layer 4350 may include a third switch (e.g., a stacked switch associated with a second phase). Passive device layer 4340 may include a second capacitor (e.g., a capacitor associated with a second phase). By providing conductive features (e.g., contacts), the stacked switches in active device layer 4350 and the phase switches in active device layer 4330 may be interconnected with the capacitors in passive device layer 4340 to form a switched capacitor circuit for the second phase.

[0118] Thus, structure 4300a can form a multi-phase switched capacitor circuit (e.g., a two-phase switched capacitor circuit) that transitions between at least two states in response to switching of stacked switches and phase switches arranged in different active device layers. In this embodiment, the first switch in the bottom layer (e.g., active device layer 4310) can be a stacked switch associated with the first phase. The third switch in the top layer (e.g., active device layer 4350) can be a stacked switch associated with the second phase. The second switch in the middle layer (e.g., active device layer 4330) is a phase switch for both the first phase and the second phase to connect the first capacitor in a layer (e.g., passive device layer 4320) stacked below the middle layer and the second capacitor in another layer (e.g., passive device layer 4340) stacked above the middle layer to a shared phase node of the switched capacitor circuit. In some embodiments, passive device layer 4320 may also include an inductor coupled to one or more of the first capacitors to form a resonant charge pump or a multi-stage charge pump.

[0119] It should also be noted that in other embodiments, the structure 4300a may have multiple passive device layers stacked on a single active device layer, or multiple active device layers stacked on a single passive device layer, or a stack including at least one of a passive device layer, an interconnect layer, and an active device layer. For example, the structure 4300a may additionally include an interconnect layer to provide electrical connections between active device layers and passive device layers, or to provide electrical connections between devices in an active device layer through metal lines.

[0120] Fig.43B is a diagram illustrating another exemplary structure 4300b according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig.43A Compared with the implementation method, Fig.43B As shown in FIG. 4 , a controller layer 4360 of a circuit system including a controller circuit 4214 can be provided as a bottom layer, and device layers 4310 to 4350 can be stacked above the controller layer 4360. The controller circuit 4214 in the controller layer 4360 can be coupled to switches in device layers 4310, 4330, and 4350 through contacts and vias to provide control signals to control the stack switches and phase switches of each phase. Thus, the structure 4300b can be used to implement Fig.42 Circuit component 4210a shown in .

[0121] Fig.43C is a diagram illustrating another exemplary structure 4300c according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig.43A and Fig.43BCompared to the embodiment of FIG. 4300c, in structure 4300c, device layers 4310, 4330, and 4350 may each include a corresponding control circuit system for controlling the switching of stacked switches or phase switches in the same device layer. In some embodiments, the control circuit systems in these device layers 4310, 4330, and 4350 may communicate with each other through contacts and through holes, and jointly perform the operation of controller circuit 4214 to provide control signals for each phase. Therefore, structure 4300c may also be used to implement Fig.42 Circuit component 4210a shown in .

[0122] Fig.43D is a diagram illustrating another exemplary structure 4300d according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 43A to FIG. 43C Compared to the embodiment of the present invention, structure 4300d also includes additional passive device layers 4370 and 4380. Passive device layers 4370 and 4380 may be inductor layers including inductors, respectively. For example, passive device layer 4370 may be stacked between passive device layer 4320 and active device layer 4330, such that the inductor in passive device layer 4370 is connected between the corresponding capacitor in passive device layer 4320 and the phase switch in active device layer 4330. Alternatively, one or more of circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c may include an inductor layer adjacent to the first passive device layer 4320. The inductor layer may include an inductor coupled to one or more of the first capacitors in the first passive device layer 4320 to form a resonant charge pump or a multi-stage charge pump.

[0123] Similarly, passive device layer 4380 can be stacked between passive device layer 4340 and active device layer 4330, so that the inductor in passive device layer 4380 is connected between the corresponding capacitor in passive device layer 4340 and the phase switch in active device layer 4330. Therefore, structure 4300d can also be used to implement a switched capacitor circuit including one or more inductors as energy storage elements, or a converter having an LC filter coupled to a switched capacitor network to facilitate adiabatic charging or discharging. It should be noted that in other alternative embodiments, passive device layer 4370 can be stacked between passive device layer 4320 and active device layer 4310, and passive device layer 4380 can be stacked between passive device layer 4340 and active device layer 4350. Fig.43D The structure 4300d in is an example and is not meant to limit the present disclosure.

[0124] In various embodiments, the passive device layers 4320 and 4340 can be implemented in different ways to provide vertical capacitors connected between the phase switches and the stack switches, which can reduce routing distances and reduce parasitic inductance in the circuit.

[0125] FIG. 44A to FIG. 44C 4400a, 4400b, and 4400c are diagrams showing exemplary passive device layers 4400a, 4400b, and 4400c according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the capacitors C1, C2, C3 to Cn embedded in each passive device layer 4400a, 4400b, or 4400c may be multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). MLCCs may store electrical energy in multiple ceramic layers having a high dielectric constant. For example, barium titanate (BaTiO3) may be selected as a dielectric. In the structure of MLCCs, multiple metal electrodes and ceramic layers are alternately stacked in the capacitor. The internal electrodes are arranged in a forked finger pattern, with adjacent electrodes extending to opposite terminals and non-adjacent electrodes extending to the same terminal. At each terminal, a metallized coating (called an end terminal) applied to the outer surface electrically connects the exposed electrode edge. MLCCs have high capacitance, small size, low cost, high reliability, and excellent high frequency characteristics, and may be widely used in different applications.

[0126] like Fig.44A As shown in , in some embodiments, the positive terminals of capacitors C1, C2, C3 to Cn are coupled to corresponding contacts on a first surface 4402 of the passive device layer 4400a, and the negative terminals of capacitors C1, C2, C3 to Cn are coupled to corresponding contacts on a second surface 4404 of the passive device layer 4400a opposite to the first surface 4402. The passive device layer 4400a is stacked with a layer having a stacked switch via the first surface 4402, and with a layer having a phase switch via the second surface 4404. Therefore, the stacked switch can be coupled to the positive terminals of capacitors C1, C2, C3 to Cn via a dc node, and the phase switch can be coupled to the negative terminals of capacitors C1, C2, C3 to Cn via the corresponding phase node. It should be understood that in different arrangements, the stacked switch can be stacked below or above the passive device layer 4400a, so the first surface 4402 can be a top surface or a bottom surface. In Fig.44A In an embodiment, multilayer ceramic capacitors C1, C2, C3 to Cn are embedded in a substrate, wherein a long edge of each multilayer ceramic capacitor C1, C2, C3 to Cn is substantially perpendicular to a top surface or a bottom surface of the passive device layer 4400a, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0127] like Fig.44B As shown in the passive device layer 4400b in FIG. 1 , the multilayer ceramic capacitors C1, C2, C3 to Cn may also be embedded in the substrate, wherein the long edge of each multilayer ceramic capacitor C1, C2, C3 to Cn is substantially parallel to the top surface or the bottom surface of the passive device layer 4400b. Fig.44AIn an embodiment, the positive terminals of the capacitors C1, C2, C3 to Cn are coupled to corresponding contacts on the first surface 4402, and the negative terminals of the capacitors C1, C2, C3 to Cn are coupled to corresponding contacts on the second surface 4404 opposite to the first surface 4402. Fig.44C As shown in the passive device layer 4400c in FIG. 4 , in some other embodiments, the multilayer ceramic capacitors C1, C2, C3 to Cn may also be vertically embedded in a molding compound material 4406, such as molded plastic or other electrical insulator materials, to form the passive device layer 4400c. It should be understood that the passive device layer may be implemented by other methods, and FIG. 44A to FIG. 44C The embodiments shown in FIG. 5 are examples only and are not meant to limit the present disclosure.

[0128] In some embodiments, Fig.43A The active device layers 4310, 4330, and 4350 and / or the passive device layers 4320 and 4340 in the structure 4300a may also be formed using a molded interconnect substrate (MIS), and one or more of the stacked switches, phase switches, and capacitors may be embedded in the molded interconnect substrate (MIS). The molded interconnect substrate is a packaging technology built on a lead frame substrate that supports single die or multi-die configurations.

[0129] Fig.44D 4400d is a diagram showing an exemplary active device layer 4400d with a molded interconnect substrate according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the active device layer 4400d, one or more IC dies 4410 including active components (e.g., switches) are attached to a lead frame 4420, wherein a thermal interface material 4430 is disposed between the IC die 4410 and the lead frame 4420. Conductive pillars (e.g., copper pillars) 4440 and 4450 are disposed to connect the IC die 4410 or the lead frame 4420 to a MIS 4460 having a pre-molded structure. The MIS 4460 may include one or more layers pre-configured with a copper plated layer or interconnect to provide an electrical connection.

[0130] Fig.45A is a diagram illustrating an exemplary structure 4500 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig.45A The structure 4500 shown in FIG. 4 can be used to implement any of the circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c. Fig.45AAs shown in FIG. 4 , structure 4500 is wafer-level stacked and includes a first active device layer 4510, a passive device layer 4520 stacked to the first active device layer 4510, and a second active device layer 4530 stacked to the passive device layer 4520. One or more through-holes 4540 and 4550 are formed and extend through the first active device layer 4510, the passive device layer 4520, and the second active device layer 4530.

[0131] In some embodiments, the first active device layer 4510 includes a phase switch of a switched capacitor circuit, and the second active device layer 4530 includes a stack switch of the switched capacitor circuit. The passive device layer 4520 between the two active device layers 4510 and 4530 includes a charge pump capacitor of the switched capacitor circuit. For example, the passive device layer 4520 can be a glass wafer / panel including a charge pump capacitor. In some embodiments, the structure 4500 provides bonding contacts 4562 and 4564 on one surface, and bonding contacts 4572 and 4574 on another surface opposite to the one surface for electrical connection to other devices stacked above or below the structure 4500. Fig.45A As shown in , through holes 4540 and 4550 may be configured to connect corresponding bonding contacts 4562 and 4564 and bonding contacts 4572 and 4574 .

[0132] Reference FIG. 45B to FIG. 45D To better understand the content of this disclosure. Fig.45B , Fig.45C and Fig.45D According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, Fig.45A A side view 4500b, a bottom view 4500c, and a top view 4500d of the relative spatial arrangement of switches and capacitors in structure 4500 are shown. FIG. 45B to FIG. 45D In the embodiment of the present invention, the stacked switches 4532A to 4536A and 4532B to 4536B, the phase switches 4512, 4514, 4516 and 4518, and the capacitors 4522, 4524, 4526 and 4528 of the switched capacitor circuit can be formed in the layers in the structure 4500. Since the area from which the cross section has been selected, in Fig.45B The stack switches 4532B to 4536B and the phase switches 4516 and 4518 are not shown.

[0133] like Fig.45B As shown in , capacitors 4522, 4524, 4526, and 4528 may be arranged coplanar with one another and between stack switches 4532A to 4536A and 4532B to 4536B and phase switches 4512, 4514, 4516, and 4518. Fig.45B and Fig.45CAs shown in FIG. , capacitors 4522, 4524, 4526, and 4528 may be formed on a passive device layer (e.g., Fig.45A The passive device layer 4520 of FIG. 4 is a passive device layer of FIG. 4520 , and the phase switches 4512 , 4514 , 4516 , and 4518 may be formed in a first switch layer (eg, Fig.45A In the first active device layer 4510). Fig.45B and Fig.45D As shown, stacked switches 4532A to 4536A and 4532B to 4536B may be formed in a second switch layer (eg, Fig.45A in the second active device layer 4530).

[0134] Fig.46 4600 . 4600 is a diagram illustrating another exemplary structure 4600 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Structure 4600 includes a substrate 4610 that supports capacitors C1A and C2A and one or more dies 4620 (e.g., a silicon die) that together form a switched capacitor circuit. An encapsulant 4640 may be deposited on capacitors C1A and C2A and one or more dies 4620 to at least partially encapsulate the switched capacitor circuit. Vias 4670 may extend through encapsulant 4640 and be positioned corresponding to bonding contacts 4660. For example, a compression molding process may be used to encapsulate one or more dies 4620 and other components with a thermally conductive molding compound.

[0135] Substrate 4610 may be a FR-4 PCB or a patterned lead frame electrically coupled to bumps 4650 for routing power and signals. In various embodiments, bumps 4650 may be solder bumps, copper pillars, copper stud bumps, gold stud bumps, etc., providing electrical connectivity between structure 4600 and any external components. In some embodiments, a solder resist coating is applied to the patterned lead frame to avoid excessive collapse during the soldering process. The solder resist layer may be applied over the leads and formed with openings corresponding to the conductive bumps 4650, respectively. Due to the area from which the cross-section has been selected, some capacitors in structure 4600 may not be Fig.46 Shown in.

[0136] like Fig.46As shown in , capacitors C1A, C2A and one or more tube cores 4620 can be mounted on substrate 4610. Conductive bumps 4622 are configured to provide electrical communication between tube core 4620 and capacitors C1A, C2A. One or more heat sinks 4630 can be disposed above one or more tube cores 4620 to facilitate heat transfer and dissipate heat generated in one or more tube cores 4620 during operation. In some embodiments, one or more tube cores 4620 may include stacked tube cores including stacked switches and phase tube cores including phase switches. In some other embodiments, stacked switches and phase switches may be integrated in the same tube core. It should be understood that tube core 4620 can be arranged differently in various embodiments. For example, for structure 4600 including multiple tube cores 4620, tube cores 4620 can be arranged side by side, with their corresponding device faces facing substrate 4610, or arranged so that one tube core is stacked on top of another tube core.

[0137] In some embodiments, due to the high power devices within the package, the stacked die and associated passive components typically generate a lot of heat and cause thermal hot spots. To facilitate heat dissipation, the power converter package may also include one or more heat sink layers within a single switched capacitor layer or between two adjacent switched capacitor layers. Fig.47 4700 is a diagram illustrating another exemplary structure 4700 including a heat spreader layer according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The structure 4700 can also be used to implement any of the circuit components 4210a, 4210b, and 4210c. Fig.45A In structure 4500 , wafer level stacking technology is applied in structure 4700 .

[0138] In addition to the first active device layer 4510, the passive device layer 4520, and the second active device layer 4530 stacked on each other, the structure 4700 may further include one or more heat sink layers 4710 and 4720. The heat sink layer 4710 may be arranged on one side of the structure 4700 adjacent to the first active device layer 4510. The heat sink layer 4720 may be arranged on the other side of the structure 4700 adjacent to the second active device layer 4530. The heat sink layers 4710 and 4720 may respectively include a thermally conductive insulating material (e.g., SiC, AIN, diamond, etc.) for heat dissipation. Therefore, the heat sink layers 4710 and 4720 may help transfer the accumulated heat out of the stacked layers and avoid damage or performance degradation caused by heat accumulation in the active device layers 4510 and 4530 or the passive device layer 4520.

[0139] In summary, the vertically mounted and horizontally stacked power modules and methods for assembling power modules disclosed in the present disclosure can be applied to manufacture power supply units and power converters for computer devices with improved heat dissipation characteristics for high power output applications. In addition, the package can be expanded by adding layers to the structure or by increasing the number of boards included in a single package to increase the output power.

[0140] In the foregoing description, embodiments have been described with reference to many specific details that may vary with implementation. Certain rewrites and modifications may be made to the described embodiments. The sequence of steps shown in the figures is also intended to be used for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limited to any particular sequence of steps. Therefore, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that these steps may be performed in different orders when implementing the same method.

[0141] Various example implementations herein are described in the general context of method steps or processes, which may be implemented in one aspect by a computer program product embodied in a transient or non-transitory computer-readable medium. For example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may store an instruction set that may be executed by one or more processors of a device to cause the device to perform a method for designing a frame structure for stacking circuit assemblies. Computer-readable media may include removable and non-removable storage devices, including but not limited to read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD), etc.

[0142] It should be understood that, for the sake of clarity, certain features of this specification described in the context of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, for the sake of brevity, various features of this specification described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination or appropriately in any other described embodiment of this specification. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not considered essential features of those embodiments, unless the embodiment does not function without those elements.

[0143] The following terms may be used to further describe the embodiments:

[0144] 1. A power module, comprising:

[0145] a first board, the first board comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other and perpendicular to a bottom surface of the power module, the bottom surface being used to mount the power module to a circuit board, the bottom surface providing an electrical connection with the circuit board;

[0146] a first charge pump assembly mounted on the first surface, the first charge pump assembly comprising a first power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage; and

[0147] A first vertical heat sink structure is disposed adjacent to the first charge pump assembly, the first charge pump assembly being positioned between the first vertical heat sink structure and the first plate.

[0148] 2. The power module according to clause 1, further comprising:

[0149] a second charge pump assembly mounted on the second surface, the second charge pump assembly comprising a second power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage; and

[0150] a second vertical heat sink structure disposed adjacent to the second charge pump assembly, the second charge pump assembly being disposed between the second vertical heat sink structure and the first plate,

[0151] The first power conversion circuit and the second power conversion circuit are electrically coupled to each other in parallel.

[0152] 3. The power module according to clause 2, further comprising:

[0153] a second plate arranged in parallel with the first plate, the second plate comprising a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other and perpendicular to the bottom surface;

[0154] a third charge pump assembly mounted on the third surface, the third charge pump assembly comprising a third power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage;

[0155] Wherein, the second vertical heat sink structure is arranged between the second charge pump component and the third charge pump component.

[0156] 4. The power module according to clause 3, further comprising:

[0157] a fourth charge pump assembly mounted on the fourth surface, the fourth charge pump assembly comprising a fourth power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage; and

[0158] a third vertical heat sink structure disposed adjacent to the fourth charge pump assembly, the fourth charge pump assembly being disposed between the third vertical heat sink structure and the second plate,

[0159] The third power conversion circuit and the fourth power conversion circuit are electrically coupled in parallel with the first power conversion circuit and the second power conversion circuit.

[0160] 5. The power module according to clause 3 or clause 4, further comprising:

[0161] A horizontal heat sink structure is connected to the first vertical heat sink structure, the second vertical heat sink structure and the third vertical heat sink structure.

[0162] 6. A power module according to any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein the first charge pump component comprises:

[0163] a first integrated circuit mounted on the first surface, the first integrated circuit comprising a plurality of stacked switches of the first power conversion circuit;

[0164] a second integrated circuit mounted on the first surface and electrically connected to the first integrated circuit via a bus bar, the second integrated circuit including a plurality of phase switches of the first power conversion circuit; and

[0165] The first power conversion circuit includes a plurality of flying capacitors coupled between the first integrated circuit and the second integrated circuit.

[0166] 7. The power module of clause 6, wherein a distance from the first integrated circuit to the bottom surface is greater than a distance from the second integrated circuit to the bottom surface.

[0167] 8. The power module of clause 6 or clause 7, wherein the first integrated circuit further comprises a controller configured to control the stack switch and the phase switch.

[0168] 9. The power module according to any one of clauses 6 to 8, further comprising:

[0169] A controller is mounted on the second surface and is configured to control the stack switch and the phase switch.

[0170] 10. A power module according to any one of clauses 1 to 9, wherein the first board comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) laminate structure, and the first charge pump assembly comprises one or more dies and capacitors mounted on the PCB laminate structure.

[0171] 11. The power module of clause 10, wherein the first charge pump assembly further comprises one or more heat sink layers attached to the one or more dies.

[0172] 12. The power module according to clause 10 or clause 11, further comprising:

[0173] A second charge pump assembly is mounted on the second surface, wherein the second charge pump assembly includes one or more dies and capacitors mounted on the PCB laminate structure.

[0174] 13. A power module according to any of clauses 1 to 12, wherein the first charge pump assembly comprises a system-in-package assembly.

[0175] 14. A power module according to any one of clauses 1 to 12, wherein the first charge pump component is a molded component.

[0176] 15. The power module of any one of clauses 1 to 12, wherein the first charge pump assembly is non-molded.

[0177] 16. The power module of any of clauses 1 to 15, wherein the first board comprises a PCB laminate structure, and the first charge pump assembly comprises one or more bump dies attached to the PCB laminate structure.

[0178] 17. A power module according to any of clauses 1 to 15, wherein the first board comprises a PCB laminate structure, and the first charge pump assembly comprises one or more dies embedded in the PCB laminate structure.

[0179] 18. A power module according to any of clauses 1 to 15, wherein the first board comprises a PCB laminate structure and the first charge pump assembly comprises one or more dies mounted on a lead frame.

[0180] 19. The power module according to any one of clauses 1 to 18, further comprising:

[0181] A carrier board is connected to the first board, the carrier board including the bottom surface for mounting the power module to the circuit board.

[0182] 20. The power module of clause 19, wherein the carrier is configured to provide a land grid array or a ball grid array on the bottom surface or on a lead frame structure.

[0183] 21. A power module according to any one of clauses 1 to 15, wherein the first board is a rigid PCB portion of a rigid-flexible composite board, the rigid-flexible composite board being bent and mounted to the carrier board.

[0184] 22. A power module, comprising:

[0185] a bottom surface for mounting the power module to a circuit board; and

[0186] A plurality of circuit components are stacked along a first direction parallel to the bottom surface, the plurality of circuit components providing a plurality of charge pump circuits coupled in parallel and configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage.

[0187] 23. The power module according to clause 22, further comprising:

[0188] a plurality of substrates aligned along the first direction, each of the plurality of substrates comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other and perpendicular to the bottom surface;

[0189] Each of the plurality of circuit components is mounted on a first surface or a second surface of a corresponding substrate among the plurality of substrates.

[0190] 24. The power module according to clause 22 or 23, further comprising:

[0191] A plurality of heat sink structures, wherein a heat sink structure of the plurality of heat sink structures is placed between two adjacent circuit components of the plurality of circuit components along the first direction.

[0192] 25. A power module according to any of clauses 22 to 24, wherein one or more of the plurality of circuit components comprises:

[0193] a first active device layer, the first active device layer including a plurality of first switches of a corresponding charge pump circuit;

[0194] a passive device layer attached to the first active device layer, the passive device layer including a plurality of capacitors of a corresponding charge pump circuit; and

[0195] A second active device layer is attached to the passive device layer, the second active device layer including a second plurality of switches of a corresponding charge pump circuit.

[0196] 26. The power module of clause 25, wherein the first plurality of switches are stack switches and the second plurality of switches are phase switches.

[0197] 27. A power module according to clause 25 or 26, wherein the passive device layer comprises a glass wafer.

[0198] 28. A power module according to any one of clauses 25 to 27, wherein one or more of the plurality of circuit components further comprises:

[0199] One or more heat spreader layers comprising a thermally conductive insulating material.

[0200] 29. A power module according to any one of clauses 22 to 28, wherein one or more of the plurality of circuit components comprises:

[0201] a first device layer including a plurality of first switches;

[0202] a second device layer including a plurality of second switches; and

[0203] a third device layer disposed between the first device layer and the second device layer, the third device layer comprising a plurality of first capacitors,

[0204] The plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches are interconnected with the plurality of first capacitors to form a corresponding charge pump circuit.

[0205] 30. The power module of clause 29, wherein the plurality of first switches are stacked switches coupled to positive terminals of the plurality of first capacitors via a plurality of direct current (dc) nodes; and

[0206] The plurality of second switches are phase switches coupled to negative terminals of the plurality of first capacitors via the first phase node or the second phase node.

[0207] 31. The power module of clause 30, wherein the first phase node is coupled to negative terminals of a first subset of the plurality of first capacitors and the second phase node is coupled to negative terminals of a second subset of the plurality of first capacitors.

[0208] 32. A power module according to any one of clauses 29 to 31, wherein one or more of the plurality of circuit components further comprises:

[0209] a fourth device layer including a plurality of third switches; and

[0210] a fifth device layer disposed between the second device layer and the fourth device layer, the fifth device layer comprising a plurality of second capacitors,

[0211] wherein the plurality of second switches are phase switches for a first phase and a second phase to connect the plurality of first capacitors and the plurality of second capacitors to a shared phase node of the charge pump circuit;

[0212] wherein the plurality of first switches are stacked switches associated with the first phase; and

[0213] Wherein, the plurality of third switches are stacked switches associated with the second phase.

[0214] 33. An electric power module according to any one of clauses 29 to 32, wherein the positive terminals of the plurality of first capacitors are coupled to corresponding contacts located on a first surface of the third device layer, and the negative terminals of the plurality of first capacitors are coupled to corresponding contacts located on a second surface of the third device layer opposite to the first surface.

[0215] 34. The power module of any of clauses 29 to 33, wherein the first plurality of capacitors are multilayer ceramic capacitors.

[0216] 35. The power module of any of clauses 29 to 34, wherein the third device layer further comprises an inductor coupled to one or more first capacitors of the plurality of first capacitors.

[0217] 36. A power module according to any one of clauses 29 to 35, wherein one or more of the plurality of circuit components further comprises:

[0218] An inductor layer stacked adjacent to the third device layer includes an inductor coupled to one or more first capacitors of the plurality of first capacitors to form a resonant charge pump or a multi-stage charge pump.

[0219] 37. A computer device comprising:

[0220] Motherboard; and

[0221] a power supply unit electrically coupled to the mainboard via an electrical connection to deliver power to one or more electrical devices on the mainboard, the power supply unit comprising a power module configured to convert input power into output power, the power module comprising:

[0222] a first board connected to the bottom surface providing electrical connection with the main board, the first board including a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other and perpendicular to the bottom surface;

[0223] a first charge pump assembly mounted on the first surface, the first charge pump assembly comprising a first power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage; and

[0224] A first heat sink structure is disposed adjacent to the first charge pump assembly, the first charge pump assembly being positioned between the first heat sink structure and the first plate.

[0225] 38. A power conversion circuit comprising:

[0226] A plurality of switched capacitor circuits coupled in parallel to convert a first voltage into a second voltage, a switched capacitor circuit in the plurality of switched capacitor circuits comprising:

[0227] Multiple flying capacitors;

[0228] a plurality of stack switches coupled to positive terminals of the plurality of flying capacitors via a plurality of direct current (dc) nodes; and

[0229] a plurality of phase switches coupled to negative terminals of the plurality of flying capacitors via a first phase node or a second phase node of the switched capacitor circuit,

[0230] wherein the switched capacitor circuit is configured to transition between different states in response to switching of the plurality of stack switches and the plurality of phase switches to convert a first voltage into a second voltage,

[0231] Wherein, the multiple switching capacitor circuits can be respectively arranged in multiple circuit components in a power module, the power module has a bottom surface for mounting the power module to a circuit board and providing electrical connection, and the multiple circuit components are stacked along a first direction parallel to the bottom surface.

[0232] 39. A method for assembling a power module, comprising:

[0233] mounting a first charge pump assembly on a first surface of the first board, the first charge pump assembly comprising a first power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage; and

[0234] The first board is mounted and the first surface is positioned perpendicular to a bottom surface of the power module.

[0235] 40. The method according to clause 39, further comprising:

[0236] A first heat sink structure is attached to place the first charge pump assembly between the first heat sink structure and the first plate.

[0237] 41. The method according to clause 39 or 40, further comprising:

[0238] mounting a second charge pump assembly on a second surface of the first board, the second charge pump assembly including a second power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage, the first surface and the second surface being opposite to each other; and

[0239] A second heat sink structure is attached to position the second charge pump assembly between the second heat sink structure and the first plate.

[0240] 42. The method according to any one of clauses 39 to 41, further comprising:

[0241] mounting a third charge pump assembly on a third surface of the second board, the third charge pump assembly comprising a third power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage; and

[0242] The second plate is mounted and the third surface is positioned perpendicular to the bottom surface.

[0243] 43. The method according to clause 42, further comprising:

[0244] A fourth charge pump assembly including a fourth power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage is mounted on a fourth surface of the second board, the third surface and the fourth surface being opposite to each other.

[0245] 44. The method according to clause 42 or 43, further comprising:

[0246] assembling a radiator unit, the radiator unit comprising a plurality of radiator structures parallel to each other; and

[0247] The heat sink unit is attached to place the first plate between a first heat sink structure and a second heat sink structure, and to place the second plate between the second heat sink structure and a third heat sink structure.

[0248] 45. The method of any of clauses 42 to 44, wherein installing the first panel and installing the second panel comprises:

[0249] Connect the first plate and the second plate with a rigid-flexible composite plate;

[0250] Installing the rigid-flexible composite panel; and

[0251] The first plate and the second plate are positioned perpendicular to the bottom surface.

[0252] 46. ​​A method according to any of clauses 39 to 45, wherein the first plate is mounted on a carrier using a land grid array or a ball grid array.

[0253] 47. The method according to any of clauses 39 to 45, wherein the first board is mounted on a carrier board by using a lead frame structure.

[0254] 48. A method according to any of clauses 39 to 45, wherein the first board is a rigid printed circuit board (PCB) portion of a rigid-flex board and the rigid-flex board is mounted on a carrier board using one or more solder pins.

[0255] The foregoing summarizes the features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art can better understand the various aspects of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that they can easily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for performing the same purpose and / or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments described herein. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that such equivalent structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they can make various changes, substitutions and modifications herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A power module, comprising: a first board, the first board comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other and perpendicular to a bottom surface of the power module, the bottom surface being used to mount the power module to a circuit board, the bottom surface providing an electrical connection with the circuit board; a first charge pump assembly mounted on the first surface, the first charge pump assembly comprising a first power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage; as well as A first vertical heat sink structure is disposed adjacent to the first charge pump assembly, the first charge pump assembly being positioned between the first vertical heat sink structure and the first plate.

2. The power module according to claim 1, further comprising: a second charge pump assembly mounted on the second surface, the second charge pump assembly comprising a second power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage; as well as a second vertical heat sink structure disposed adjacent to the second charge pump assembly, the second charge pump assembly being disposed between the second vertical heat sink structure and the first plate, The first power conversion circuit and the second power conversion circuit are electrically coupled to each other in parallel.

3. The power module according to claim 2, further comprising: a second plate arranged in parallel with the first plate, the second plate comprising a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other and perpendicular to the bottom surface; a third charge pump assembly mounted on the third surface, the third charge pump assembly comprising a third power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage; Wherein, the second vertical heat sink structure is arranged between the second charge pump component and the third charge pump component.

4. The power module according to claim 3, further comprising: a fourth charge pump assembly mounted on the fourth surface, the fourth charge pump assembly comprising a fourth power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage; as well as a third vertical heat sink structure disposed adjacent to the fourth charge pump assembly, the fourth charge pump assembly being disposed between the third vertical heat sink structure and the second plate, The third power conversion circuit and the fourth power conversion circuit are electrically coupled in parallel with the first power conversion circuit and the second power conversion circuit.

5. The power module according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising: A horizontal heat sink structure is connected to the first vertical heat sink structure, the second vertical heat sink structure and the third vertical heat sink structure.

6. The power module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The first charge pump assembly comprises: a first integrated circuit mounted on the first surface, the first integrated circuit comprising a plurality of stacked switches of the first power conversion circuit; a second integrated circuit mounted on the first surface and electrically connected to the first integrated circuit via a bus bar, the second integrated circuit including a plurality of phase switches of the first power conversion circuit; and The first power conversion circuit includes a plurality of flying capacitors coupled between the first integrated circuit and the second integrated circuit.

7. The power module according to claim 6, wherein: A distance from the first integrated circuit to the bottom surface is greater than a distance from the second integrated circuit to the bottom surface.

8. The power module according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The first integrated circuit also includes a controller configured to control the stack switch and the phase switch.

9. The power module according to any one of claims 6 to 8, further comprising: A controller is mounted on the second surface and is configured to control the stack switch and the phase switch.

10. The power module according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The first board includes a printed circuit board (PCB) laminate structure, and the first charge pump assembly includes one or more dies and capacitors mounted on the PCB laminate structure.

11. The power module according to claim 10, wherein: The first charge pump assembly also includes one or more heat spreader layers attached to the one or more dies.

12. The power module according to claim 10 or 11, further comprising: A second charge pump assembly is mounted on the second surface, wherein the second charge pump assembly includes one or more dies and capacitors mounted on the PCB laminate structure.

13. The power module according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein: The first charge pump assembly includes a system-in-package assembly.

14. The power module according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein: The first charge pump component is a molded component.

15. The power module according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein: The first charge pump assembly is non-molded.

16. The power module according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein: The first board includes a PCB laminate structure, and the first charge pump assembly includes one or more bump dies attached to the PCB laminate structure.

17. The power module according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein: The first board includes a PCB laminate structure, and the first charge pump assembly includes one or more dies embedded in the PCB laminate structure.

18. The power module according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein: The first board includes a PCB laminate structure, and the first charge pump assembly includes one or more dies mounted on a lead frame.

19. The power module according to any one of claims 1 to 18, further comprising: A carrier board is connected to the first board, the carrier board including the bottom surface for mounting the power module to the circuit board.

20. The power module according to claim 19, wherein: The carrier is configured to provide a land grid array or a ball grid array on the bottom surface or on a lead frame structure.

21. The power module according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein: The first board is a rigid PCB portion of a rigid-flexible composite board, and the rigid-flexible composite board is bent and mounted to the carrier board.

22. A power module, comprising: a bottom surface for mounting the power module to a circuit board; as well as A plurality of circuit components are stacked along a first direction parallel to the bottom surface, the plurality of circuit components providing a plurality of charge pump circuits coupled in parallel and configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage.

23. The power module according to claim 22, further comprising: a plurality of substrates aligned along the first direction, each of the plurality of substrates comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other and perpendicular to the bottom surface; Each of the plurality of circuit components is mounted on a first surface or a second surface of a corresponding substrate among the plurality of substrates.

24. The power module according to claim 22 or 23, further comprising: A plurality of heat sink structures, wherein a heat sink structure of the plurality of heat sink structures is placed between two adjacent circuit components of the plurality of circuit components along the first direction.

25. The power module according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein: One or more of the plurality of circuit components comprises: a first active device layer, the first active device layer including a plurality of first switches of a corresponding charge pump circuit; a passive device layer attached to the first active device layer, the passive device layer including a plurality of capacitors of a corresponding charge pump circuit; and A second active device layer is attached to the passive device layer, the second active device layer including a second plurality of switches of a corresponding charge pump circuit.

26. The power module according to claim 25, wherein: The plurality of first switches are stack switches, and the plurality of second switches are phase switches.

27. The power module according to claim 25 or 26, wherein: The passive device layer includes a glass wafer.

28. The power module according to any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein: One or more of the plurality of circuit components further comprises: One or more heat spreader layers comprising a thermally conductive insulating material.

29. The power module according to any one of claims 22 to 28, wherein: One or more of the plurality of circuit components comprises: a first device layer including a plurality of first switches; a second device layer including a plurality of second switches; and a third device layer disposed between the first device layer and the second device layer, the third device layer comprising a plurality of first capacitors, The plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches are interconnected with the plurality of first capacitors to form a corresponding charge pump circuit.

30. The power module according to claim 29, wherein: The plurality of first switches are stacked switches coupled to positive terminals of the plurality of first capacitors via a plurality of direct current (dc) nodes; as well as The plurality of second switches are phase switches coupled to negative terminals of the plurality of first capacitors via the first phase node or the second phase node.

31. The power module according to claim 30, wherein: The first phase node is coupled to negative terminals of a first subset of the plurality of first capacitors, and the second phase node is coupled to negative terminals of a second subset of the plurality of first capacitors.

32. The power module according to any one of claims 29 to 31, wherein: One or more of the plurality of circuit components further comprises: a fourth device layer including a plurality of third switches; and a fifth device layer disposed between the second device layer and the fourth device layer, the fifth device layer comprising a plurality of second capacitors, wherein the plurality of second switches are phase switches for a first phase and a second phase to connect the plurality of first capacitors and the plurality of second capacitors to a shared phase node of the charge pump circuit; wherein the plurality of first switches are stacked switches associated with the first phase; and Wherein, the plurality of third switches are stacked switches associated with the second phase.

33. The power module according to any one of claims 29 to 32, wherein: Positive terminals of the plurality of first capacitors are coupled to corresponding contacts on a first surface of the third device layer, and negative terminals of the plurality of first capacitors are coupled to corresponding contacts on a second surface of the third device layer opposite the first surface.

34. The power module according to any one of claims 29 to 33, wherein: The plurality of first capacitors are multilayer ceramic capacitors.

35. The power module according to any one of claims 29 to 34, wherein: The third device layer also includes an inductor coupled to one or more first capacitors of the plurality of first capacitors.

36. The power module according to any one of claims 29 to 35, wherein: One or more of the plurality of circuit components further comprises: An inductor layer stacked adjacent to the third device layer includes an inductor coupled to one or more first capacitors of the plurality of first capacitors to form a resonant charge pump or a multi-stage charge pump.

37. A computer device comprising: Motherboard; as well as a power supply unit electrically coupled to the mainboard via an electrical connection to deliver power to one or more electrical devices on the mainboard, the power supply unit comprising a power module configured to convert input power into output power, the power module comprising: a first board connected to the bottom surface providing electrical connection with the main board, the first board including a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other and perpendicular to the bottom surface; a first charge pump assembly mounted on the first surface, the first charge pump assembly comprising a first power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage; and A first heat sink structure is disposed adjacent to the first charge pump assembly, the first charge pump assembly being positioned between the first heat sink structure and the first plate.

38. A power conversion circuit comprising: A plurality of switched capacitor circuits coupled in parallel to convert a first voltage into a second voltage, a switched capacitor circuit in the plurality of switched capacitor circuits comprising: Multiple flying capacitors; a plurality of stack switches coupled to positive terminals of the plurality of flying capacitors via a plurality of direct current (dc) nodes; and a plurality of phase switches coupled to negative terminals of the plurality of flying capacitors via a first phase node or a second phase node of the switched capacitor circuit, wherein the switched capacitor circuit is configured to transition between different states in response to switching of the plurality of stack switches and the plurality of phase switches to convert a first voltage into a second voltage, Wherein, the multiple switching capacitor circuits can be respectively arranged in multiple circuit components in a power module, the power module has a bottom surface for mounting the power module to a circuit board and providing electrical connection, and the multiple circuit components are stacked along a first direction parallel to the bottom surface.

39. A method for assembling a power module, comprising: mounting a first charge pump assembly on a first surface of the first board, the first charge pump assembly comprising a first power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage; as well as The first board is mounted and the first surface is positioned perpendicular to a bottom surface of the power module.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising: A first heat sink structure is attached to place the first charge pump assembly between the first heat sink structure and the first plate.

41. The method according to claim 39 or 40, further comprising: mounting a second charge pump assembly on a second surface of the first board, the second charge pump assembly comprising a second power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage, the first surface and the second surface being opposite to each other; as well as A second heat sink structure is attached to position the second charge pump assembly between the second heat sink structure and the first plate.

42. The method according to any one of claims 39 to 41, further comprising: mounting a third charge pump assembly on a third surface of the second board, the third charge pump assembly comprising a third power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage; as well as The second plate is mounted and the third surface is positioned perpendicular to the bottom surface.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising: A fourth charge pump assembly including a fourth power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage is mounted on a fourth surface of the second board, the third surface and the fourth surface being opposite to each other.

44. The method according to claim 42 or 43, further comprising: Assembling a radiator unit, the radiator unit comprising a plurality of radiator structures parallel to each other; as well as The heat sink unit is attached to place the first plate between a first heat sink structure and a second heat sink structure, and to place the second plate between the second heat sink structure and a third heat sink structure.

45. A method according to any one of claims 42 to 44, wherein: Installing the first plate and installing the second plate include: Connect the first plate and the second plate with a rigid-flexible composite plate; Installing the rigid-flexible composite panel; and The first plate and the second plate are positioned perpendicular to the bottom surface.

46. ​​A method according to any one of claims 39 to 45, wherein: The first board is mounted on a carrier board by using a land grid array or a ball grid array.

47. A method according to any one of claims 39 to 45, wherein: The first board is mounted on the carrier board by using a lead frame structure.

48. A method according to any one of claims 39 to 45, wherein: The first board is a rigid printed circuit board (PCB) portion of a rigid-flex board, and the rigid-flex board is mounted on a carrier board using one or more solder pins.

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