Vertical power supply module

Abstract

The invention provides a vertical power supply module which comprises a load group and a power supply group. The load group comprises a first load module and a second load module, first load current flows through the first load module, second load current flows through the second load module, and the first load current is different from the second load current. The power supply group comprises a first power supply module and a second power supply module, the first power supply module outputs first power supply current, the second power supply module outputs second power supply current, and the first power supply current is different from the second power supply current. The load group and the power supply group are stacked in the vertical direction, and on a horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical direction, projections of the first power supply module and the first load module and projections of the second power supply module and the second load module in the vertical direction are at least partially overlapped. The power supply modules with different current supply levels are arranged in the vertical direction for the load modules with different current magnitude requirements, so that the transverse current is reduced, the loss is reduced, and the stability of the power supply system is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of power electronics technology, and in particular, to a vertical power supply module. Background Art

[0002] In a power supply system, the power supply layout design of a variable voltage regulator (VVR) is an important part of the power supply system design. In a conventional VVR power supply layout, power modules of the same specification are generally used to meet various load requirements of chips, that is, the power modules are arranged in a dispersed manner and then electrically connected according to the load power supply requirements. In this design, when power needs to be supplied to a heavy load (i.e., a load with a large current demand) in a chip, it is difficult for a single power module to independently meet the power supply requirements, and multiple power modules will operate together to supply power. As a result, the lateral current in the VVR increases, causing a large amount of heat to be generated in a printed circuit board (PCB), resulting in energy loss and a decrease in the overall efficiency of the power module. Moreover, long-term high-temperature operation may reduce the service life of the power module and lower the reliability of the system. In addition, since the lateral current flows horizontally (in a direction parallel to the surface of the PCB) in the PCB, it may lead to too high a current density, thereby generating a strong magnetic field and affecting the stability of the power supply system. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a vertical power supply module to solve and improve the problems and disadvantages of the foregoing technology.

[0004] To achieve the foregoing purpose, the present disclosure provides a vertical power supply module, including a load group and a power supply group.

[0005] The load group includes at least two load modules. The at least two load modules include a first load module and a second load module. A first load current flows through the first load module, and a second load current flows through the second load module. The magnitude of the first load current is different from that of the second load current.

[0006] The power supply group is configured to supply power to the load group. The power supply group includes at least two power supply modules. The at least two power supply modules include a first power supply module and a second power supply module. A first power supply current is output by the first power supply module, and a second power supply current is output by the second power supply module. The magnitude of the first power supply current is different from that of the second power supply current. The first power supply current flows to the first load module, and the second power supply current flows to the second load module.

[0007] Wherein the load group and the power supply group are stacked in the vertical direction. On a horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical direction, the projections of the first power supply module and the first load module at least partially overlap, and the projections of the second power supply module and the second load module at least partially overlap.

[0008] The present disclosure provides a vertical power supply module for a power supply system. By stacking the load groups that require current input and the power supply groups that output current in the vertical direction, a power supply layout is formed in which the load modules and the power supply modules corresponding to the current magnitudes in the load groups and the power supply groups are arranged correspondingly. That is, by arranging the load modules and the power supply modules corresponding to the current magnitudes in the load groups and the power supply groups correspondingly, the load modules and the power supply modules with corresponding current magnitudes are relatively positioned in the vertical direction. Thus, a single power supply module can meet the power supply requirements of a single load module, thereby supplying power along the shortest path, greatly reducing the lateral current in the horizontal direction (perpendicular to the vertical direction), and further reducing energy loss and improving the overall efficiency. At the same time, the strong magnetic field caused by too high current density is avoided, thus affecting the stability of the power supply system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1A Shows an exploded view of the vertical power supply module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 1B Shows another exploded view of the vertical power supply module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure from another angle.

[0011] Figure 2 Shows a schematic diagram of the power supply group in the vertical power supply module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 3 Shows a side view of the vertical power supply module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 4 Shows a schematic diagram of the power supply group in the vertical power supply module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Among them, the reference numerals are explained as follows:

[0015] 1: Vertical power supply module

[0016] 10: Load group

[0017] 11: First load module

[0018] 12: Second load module

[0019] 13: Third load module

[0020] 14: Fourth load module

[0021] 20, 20': Power supply group

[0022] 21, 21': First power supply module

[0023] 22, 22': Second power supply module

[0024] 23, 23': The third power supply module

[0025] 24, 24': The fourth power supply module

[0026] 25, 25': The second circuit board

[0027] 26: Solder balls

[0028] 30: The first circuit board

[0029] 31: The first side

[0030] 32: The second side

[0031] 41: The first vertical power supply block

[0032] 42: The second vertical power supply block Detailed implementation manners

[0033] Some typical embodiments embodying the features and advantages of the present disclosure will be described in detail in the following description. It should be understood that the present disclosure can have various variations in different ways, all of which do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure, and the descriptions and drawings therein are essentially for illustrative purposes and not for limiting the present disclosure.

[0034] It should be noted that although terms such as "first", "second", "third", "fourth", etc. may be used to describe different components / devices / circuits, these components / devices / circuits should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish different components / devices / circuits. For example, the first component may be referred to as the second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the first component without departing from the scope of the embodiments. Furthermore, for the convenience of describing the relationship between a component or feature component in the drawings and another (plural) component or (plural) feature components, spatial relative terms may be used, such as "under", "below", "lower", "above", "upper", and similar terms.

[0035] The present disclosure will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments: This embodiment is implemented on the premise of the technical solution of the present disclosure, and the implementation manners and operation processes are given, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 2 and Figure 3 . Figure 1A Showing an exploded view of a vertical power supply module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 1B Showing another exploded view of a vertical power supply module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2Schematic diagram of the power supply group in the vertical power supply module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 3 Side view of the vertical power supply module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The vertical power supply module 1 of the present disclosure includes a load group 10, a power supply group 20, and a first circuit board 30. As Figure 3 shown, along the vertical direction Z, the first circuit board 30 includes two opposite surfaces, such as a first surface 31 and a second surface 32. The load group 10 and the power supply group 20 are respectively disposed on the first surface 31 and the second surface 32 of the first circuit board 30. The load group 10 and the power supply group 20 can be disposed on the first circuit board 30 by welding and are electrically connected through the conductive vias of the first circuit board 30. For example, the load group 10 can be various semiconductor devices and passive components in the chip, and the power supply group 20 can be an adjustable voltage regulator or an adjustable voltage regulation module for supplying power to various semiconductor devices and passive components in the chip. The power supply group 20 can be electrically connected to the first circuit board 30 through a second circuit board 25. For example, the second circuit board 25 can be provided with solder balls 26 on the surface close to the first circuit board 30 and welded to the first circuit board 30, but not limited thereto.

[0037] In some other embodiments of this case, the vertical power supply module 1 may not include the second circuit board 25, and the power supply group 20 can be directly electrically connected to the load group 10 through the first circuit board 30.

[0038] The load group 10 and the power supply group 20 are stacked in the vertical direction Z and are roughly opposite in position. That is, on a horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical direction Z, the projected areas of the load group 10 and the power supply group 20 substantially overlap, wherein the first surface 31 and the second surface 32 of the first circuit board 30 are arranged parallel to the horizontal plane. Specifically, the load group 10 includes at least two load modules, such as a first load module 11 and a second load module 12. The first load module 11 carries a first load current, and the second load module 12 carries a second load current, and the magnitude of the first load current is different from that of the second load current. Each load module includes at least one load. The power supply group 20 is used to supply power to the load group 10 and includes at least two power supply modules arranged on the second circuit board 25, such as a first power supply module 21 and a second power supply module 22. The first power supply module 21 outputs a first power supply current, and the second power supply module 22 outputs a second power supply current, and the magnitude of the first power supply current is different from that of the second power supply current. The first power supply current flows to the first load module 11 to meet the required first load current, and the second power supply current flows to the second load module 12 to meet the required second load current. In some embodiments of this case, the magnitude of the first load current is equal to the first power supply current, and the magnitude of the second load current is equal to the second power supply current. On a horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical direction Z, the projection of the first power supply module 21 and the first load module 11 at least partially overlap, and the projection of the second power supply module 22 and the second load module 12 at least partially overlap. It should be noted that in order to minimize the lateral current as much as possible, it is necessary to make the above two projections overlap as much as possible, so that the load modules and the power supply modules with the same current magnitude are opposite to each other in the vertical direction Z, that is, each load module is correspondingly provided with a power supply module in the vertical direction Z, and each load module is powered by a corresponding power supply module. Therefore, the number of load modules and the number of power supply modules can be equal. However, considering actual needs and manufacturing errors and other factors, the load modules and the power supply modules with the same current magnitude are not necessarily completely corresponding one by one in the vertical direction Z, that is, the projections on the horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical direction Z completely overlap, but a certain error is allowed as long as the lateral current can be significantly reduced. It should be noted that the directional expressions in this article are for explaining the relative position relationship and do not constitute a limitation on the overall placement orientation.

[0039] In load group 10, the load current magnitudes of the respective load modules may be the same or different. Taking a chip as an example, based on different semiconductor device / passive component requirements, the load current magnitudes may be the same or different, so that the load current magnitudes in load group 10 are unevenly distributed. Therefore, the load modules divided according to the positions of the semiconductor devices / passive components will have the same or different load current magnitudes depending on the semiconductor devices / passive components within the module. In other words, at least two load modules included in load group 10 have at least two load current magnitudes. Taking Figure 1A as an example, load group 10 includes at least a first load module 11, a second load module 12, a third load module 13, and a fourth load module 14. And these four load modules have at least two load current magnitudes. For example, the load current magnitudes of the first load module 11 and the second load module 12 are different from each other, the load current magnitude of the third load module 13 is the same as that of the second load module 12, and the load current magnitude of the fourth load module 14 is the same as that of the first load module 11. Among them, the types and positions of the load current magnitudes in load group 10 may change according to the configuration of the semiconductor devices / passive components in the chip, without limitation.

[0040] It should be noted that although each load module is shown in the figure as having the same size, it is not limited thereto, and the size of the load module may vary according to the semiconductor devices / passive components actually provided in the chip.

[0041] In power supply group 20, the power supply current magnitudes of the respective power supply modules are determined according to the load modules opposite to them in the vertical direction Z. Therefore, the power supply current magnitudes of the respective power supply modules may be the same or different. Taking Figure 2For example, the power supply group 20 includes at least a first power supply module 21, a second power supply module 22, a third power supply module 23, and a fourth power supply module 24. The first power supply module 21 is substantially opposite to the first load module 11 in the vertical direction Z, the second power supply module 22 is substantially opposite to the second load module 12 in the vertical direction Z, the third power supply module 23 is substantially opposite to the third load module 13 in the vertical direction Z, and the fourth power supply module 24 is substantially opposite to the fourth load module 14 in the vertical direction Z. That is, on the horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical direction Z, the projections of each power supply module and its corresponding load module at least partially overlap. Moreover, the first power supply module 21 is used to supply the first load current corresponding to the first load module 11 to the first load module 11, the second power supply module 22 is used to supply the second load current corresponding to the second load module 12 to the second load module 12, the third power supply module 23 is used to supply the third load current corresponding to the third load module 13 to the third load module 13, and the fourth power supply module 24 is used to supply the fourth load current corresponding to the fourth load module 14 to the fourth load module 14. Therefore, based on the different magnitudes of the load currents of the first load module 11 and the second load module 12, the magnitudes of the supply currents of the first power supply module 21 and the second power supply module 22 are also different. And based on the fact that the magnitude of the load current of the third load module 13 is the same as that of the second load module 12 and the magnitude of the load current of the fourth load module 14 is the same as that of the first load module 11, the magnitude of the supply current of the third power supply module 23 is also the same as that of the second power supply module 22 and the magnitude of the supply current of the fourth power supply module 24 is also the same as that of the first power supply module 21. Also for this reason, at least two power supply modules included in the power supply group 20 will have at least two magnitudes of supply currents to supply power to the load group 10 including at least two magnitudes of load currents. By arranging the corresponding power supply modules and load modules to be substantially opposite in the vertical direction Z, the current path between the power supply group 20 and the load group 10 is shortened.

[0042] Furthermore, each power supply module includes one or more power semiconductor devices, and each power semiconductor device is a basic power unit for realizing input-output voltage conversion. Power semiconductor devices with different power ratings are used for power supply modules with different magnitudes of supply currents.

[0043] It should be noted that although each power supply module is shown to have the same size in the drawings, it is not limited thereto. The sizes of the power supply modules can be implemented as the same or different. For example, they can vary according to the sizes of the corresponding load modules.

[0044] With such a setting method, regardless of the load current requirements of each semiconductor device / passive component in the chip, a current with a comparable magnitude can be provided by the corresponding power supply module in the vertical direction Z. That is, the light load module (with a small load current requirement) is powered by a low-power power supply module correspondingly configured in the vertical direction Z, and the heavy load module (with a large load current requirement) is powered by a high-power power supply module correspondingly configured in the vertical direction Z. For example, as Figure 3 shown, the load group 10 and the power supply group 20 form at least two vertical power supply blocks. The at least two vertical power supply blocks include a first vertical power supply block 41 and a second vertical power supply block 42. The first vertical power supply block 41 includes a first load module 11 and a first power supply module 21 corresponding to each other in the vertical direction Z, and the two are electrically connected through a first circuit board 30. The second vertical power supply block 42 includes a second load module 12 and a second power supply module 22 corresponding to each other in the vertical direction Z, and the two are electrically connected through the first circuit board 30. If the first load module 11 is a heavy load module and the second load module 12 is a light load module, then correspondingly, the magnitude of the first supply current of the first power supply module 21 will be greater than the magnitude of the second supply current of the second power supply module 22, and the load current magnitudes of the respective corresponding load modules.

[0045] Accordingly, compared with the situation in the prior art where a heavy load demand needs to be powered by multiple power modules operating together, the method provided by the present disclosure of correspondingly setting power supply modules with comparable current magnitudes in the vertical direction Z according to the requirements of the load module can greatly reduce the lateral current transmitted in the horizontal direction in the power supply group 20, effectively avoid the losses caused by a large amount of horizontal lateral current, reduce the heat generation of the power module, and thus improve the overall efficiency. At the same time, it avoids the strong magnetic field caused by too high current density, thereby affecting the stability of the power supply system.

[0046] More specifically, the present disclosure correspondingly sets power supply modules with different supply powers by modularizing loads with different load current requirements. Not only are they vertically opposite to each other in physical position, but the current and the magnitude of the supply power also change correspondingly. Therefore, in addition to minimizing the current transmission path between the corresponding load module and the power supply module, it can also achieve the effect that a single power supply module is sufficient to supply the power supply demand of a heavy load, thus solving various problems caused by the need for multiple power supply modules to supply power to a single heavy load module in the prior art.

[0047] In the present disclosure, the power supply group 20 can be implemented in the form of a single power module. For example, as Figure 2 shown, the power supply modules 21, 22, 23, 24 can be power units with different supply current densities in a single power module to respectively provide currents with corresponding supply current magnitudes to the load modules opposite to them in the vertical direction Z. Here, the current density refers to the magnitude of the current flowing through a unit area.

[0048] The power supply group 20 can also be implemented in other forms. Please refer to Figure 4 which shows a schematic diagram of the power supply group in the vertical power supply module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the power supply group 20' includes at least two power modules that are independent of each other and arranged in a closely arranged manner on the circuit board 25', that is, the first power supply module 21', the second power supply module 22', the third power supply module 23', and the fourth power supply module 24' can be independently powered. For example, each power supply module can be implemented as a power module, and according to the requirements of the load module, multiple load modules in the load group 10 are respectively arranged on a circuit board to form the power supply group 20'. In this case, each power supply module also corresponds in the vertical direction Z and provides a current with a relatively equivalent magnitude to the corresponding load module.

[0049] During actual operation, the heavy load module has a large current density, while the light load module has a small current density. Here, the current density refers to the ratio of the working current to the current vertical cross-sectional area. Therefore, in the same vertical cross-sectional area, when the current required by the load is larger, it means the current density is larger.

[0050] In one embodiment, the ratio of the current density of the power supply module to the current density of the load module disposed opposite thereto in the vertical direction Z is greater than or equal to 70%, and in some embodiments of this case, this ratio can also be less than or equal to 130%, that is, the current density of the power supply module can be 0.7 - 1.3 times the current density of its corresponding load module, so that a single power supply module is sufficient to provide the current required by the corresponding load module. For example, taking Figure 3 as an example, the current density of the first power supply module 21 in the first vertical power supply block 41 is greater than or equal to 70% of the current density of the first load module 11 and less than or equal to 130% of the current density of the first load module 11. The current density of the second power supply module 22 in the second vertical power supply block 42 is greater than or equal to 70% of the current density of the second load module 12 and less than or equal to 130% of the current density of the second load module 12.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the difference in the current density of the current provided by the power supply modules between different vertical power supply blocks is greater than 150%. For example, taking Figure 3For example, if the first load module 11 in the first vertical power supply block 41 is a heavy load module and the second load module 12 in the second vertical power supply block 42 is a light load module, the current density provided by the first power supply module 21 in the first vertical power supply block 41 is at least 150% of the current density provided by the second power supply module 22 in the second vertical power supply block 42. That is, the current density provided by the first power supply module 21 in the first vertical power supply block 41 is at least 1.5 times that of the second power supply module 22 in the second vertical power supply block 42. Moreover, power semiconductor devices with a rated current difference of more than 150% are used in power supply modules with different supply current magnitudes. That is, the rated current of the power semiconductor device used by the first power supply module 21 in the first vertical power supply block 41 is at least 1.5 times that of the power semiconductor device used by the second power supply module 22 in the second vertical power supply block 42. Different from simply adding the same power semiconductor devices when the power supply demand of the load module increases, the present disclosure uses power semiconductor devices with corresponding supply powers according to the power supply demands of different load modules, thereby reducing the volume of the vertical power supply module and reducing line losses and thermal losses.

[0052] In summary, the vertical power supply module of the present disclosure sets power supply modules with different output current magnitudes corresponding to load modules with different load current magnitude requirements in the vertical direction. Compared with the prior art, the horizontal lateral current during the power supply process is significantly reduced, effectively avoiding the losses caused by a large amount of horizontal lateral current, and also achieving an increase in power supply density and an improvement in power supply efficiency. At the same time, it avoids the strong magnetic field caused by the high current density in the horizontal direction of the circuit board, thereby affecting the stability of the power supply system.

[0053] It should be noted that the above is only a preferred embodiment proposed to illustrate the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the described embodiment, and the scope of the present disclosure is determined by the appended claims. And the present disclosure can be variously modified by those skilled in the art, but all do not depart from what the appended claims intend to protect.

Claims

1. A vertical power supply module, characterized in that: include: a load group, the load group includes at least two load modules, the at least two load modules include a first load module and a second load module, wherein a first load current flows through the first load module, a second load current flows through the second load module, and the first load current is different from the second load current; and A power supply group is configured to supply power to the load group, the power supply group includes at least two power supply modules, the at least two power supply modules include a first power supply module and a second power supply module, wherein the first power supply module outputs a first power supply current, the second power supply module outputs a second power supply current, the first power supply current is different from the second power supply current, the first power supply current flows to the first load module, and the second power supply current flows to the second load module; The load group and the power supply group are stacked in a vertical direction, and on a horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical direction, the projections of the first power supply module and the first load module at least partially overlap, and the projections of the second power supply module and the second load module at least partially overlap.

2. The vertical power supply module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The load group and the power supply group form at least two vertical power supply blocks, and the at least two vertical power supply blocks include a first vertical power supply block and a second vertical power supply block, wherein the first vertical power supply block includes the first power supply module and the first load module, and the first power supply current flows along the vertical direction to the first load module, and the second vertical power supply block includes the second power supply module and the second load module, and the second power supply current flows along the vertical direction to the second load module.

3. The vertical power supply module according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a first circuit board. Along the vertical direction, the first circuit board includes two oppositely arranged surfaces. The load group and the power supply group are respectively located on the two oppositely arranged surfaces of the first circuit board. The two oppositely arranged surfaces of the first circuit board are arranged parallel to the horizontal plane, and the load group and the power supply group are electrically connected through the first circuit board.

4. The vertical power supply module according to claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes a second circuit board, which is arranged between the power supply group and the first circuit board. The power supply group is electrically connected to the first circuit board through the second circuit board.

5. The vertical power supply module according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the power supply modules is an independent power module.

6. The vertical power supply module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power supply group is a single power module, and each of the power supply modules is a different power unit in the single power module.

7. The vertical power supply module according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the power supply modules includes at least one power semiconductor device, and power supply modules with different power supply currents include power semiconductor devices with different power levels.

8. The vertical power supply module according to claim 7, characterized in that: In two power supply modules with different power supply currents, the rated current of the power semiconductor device of one power supply module is more than 1.5 times that of the power semiconductor device of the other power supply module.

9. The vertical power supply module according to claim 1, characterized in that: Among two power supply modules with different power supply currents, the current density of one power supply module is more than 1.5 times that of the other power supply module, where the current density is the magnitude of the current flowing per unit area.

10. The vertical power supply module according to claim 2, characterized in that: In each vertical power supply block, a ratio of a current density of the power supply module to a current density of the load module is greater than or equal to 70%.

11. The vertical power supply module according to claim 10, characterized in that: In each vertical power supply block, a ratio of a current density of the power supply module to a current density of the load module is less than or equal to 130%.

12. The vertical power supply module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The load group is a chip structure, and the power supply group is an adjustable voltage regulator.

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