Array of Compliant Connectors for Electronic Assemblies

Abstract

An array of compliant connectors for electronic assemblies is provided. In one aspect, a system includes an array of first electronic components and an array of second electronic components. Each of the second electronic components is paired with a corresponding one of the first electronic components. Each pair of the first electronic components and the second electronic components is coupled via a plurality of compliant connectors.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] [CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 260,386, filed August 18, 2021, entitled “ARRAYOF POGO PINS FOR ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLIES,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to connectors used to provide conductivity between subassemblies, and more specifically to compliant connectors for supplying signals and / or power. [Background technology]

[0003] An electronic system assembly can include multiple components, such as a system on a chip (SOC), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), etc., that can be connected to provide electrical, thermal, and / or communication conductivity. Conventional implementations of board-to-board connectors typically do not work with the high tolerances desired for some electronic assemblies. Other implementations of compliant connectors can be used, but they can be difficult to assemble and have much higher tolerances and distortions on the board. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In one aspect, a system is provided that includes an array of first electronic components and an array of second electronic components, each of the second electronic components paired with a corresponding one of the first electronic components, each pair of the first electronic components and second electronic components coupled via a plurality of compliant connectors.

[0005] In some embodiments, the first electronic component and the second electronic component each include a plurality of compliant connector pads on at least one side of the electronic component, and each of the compliant connectors is configured to contact one of the compliant connector pads.

[0006] In some embodiments, at least one of the compliant connector pads is connected to a plurality of compliant connectors.

[0007] In some embodiments, the system further comprises a plurality of compliant connector housings, each of the compliant connector housings configured to accommodate a subset of the compliant connectors.

[0008] In some embodiments, the system further includes an intermediate plate having a first electronic component disposed on a first side of the intermediate plate and a second electronic component disposed on a second side of the intermediate plate, the second side being opposite the first side, the intermediate plate having a plurality of openings therethrough, and each of the compliant connector housings configured to be press-fit into one of the openings in the intermediate plate.

[0009] In some embodiments, each of the compliant connector housings includes a plurality of ribs configured to deform when the respective compliant connector housing is inserted into one of the openings.

[0010] In some embodiments, the intermediate plate includes a cold plate configured to cool the first and second electronic components and the compliant connector, and a thermal epoxy is provided between the compliant connector housing and the cold plate to provide additional thermal cooling of the compliant connector.

[0011] In some embodiments, at least some of the openings are configured to receive two compliant connector housings.

[0012] In some embodiments, two compliant connector housings within the same opening house respective groups of compliant connectors configured to couple different pairs of first and second electronic components.

[0013] In some embodiments, the compliant connectors are arranged in pairs such that a first one of the pair of compliant connectors is configured for a first electronic component of a corresponding pair of a first electronic component and a second electronic component and a second one of the pair of compliant connectors is configured to contact a second electronic component of the corresponding pair of the first electronic component and the second electronic component.

[0014] In some embodiments, each of the compliant connector housings includes a pair of springs for each pair of compliant connectors, and the springs within the compliant connector housings provide bidirectional floating such that the force applied to each of the compliant connectors is independent of the force applied to the others of the compliant connectors.

[0015] In some embodiments, the compliant connectors of each of the compliant connector housings are arranged to form a two-dimensional array.

[0016] In some embodiments, the compliant connector is further configured to provide electrical, thermal, and / or communication conductivity between corresponding pairs of the first electronic component and the second electronic component.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first electronic component is a voltage regulation module (VRM) and the second electronic component is a circuit on a printed circuit board.

[0018] In some embodiments, the compliant connector comprises a pogo pin.

[0019] In another aspect, a system is provided comprising an array of first electronic components and a plurality of compliant connector assemblies, each of the compliant connector assemblies comprising a group of compliant connectors and a housing around the group of compliant connectors, each of the first electronic components comprising one or more pads electrically connected to at least one of the group of compliant connectors of a respective compliant connector assembly of the compliant connector assemblies.

[0020] In some embodiments, the system further includes a cold plate disposed on one side of the array of first electronic components, the cold plate configured to cool the first electronic components and having a plurality of openings therethrough, and each of the housings configured to be press-fit into one of the openings in the cold plate.

[0021] In some embodiments, the system further includes a control board arranged such that the cold plate is located between the array of first electronic components and the control board, the compliant connector configured to electrically connect the first electronic components to the control board, and the control board configured to provide power and / or control signals to the first electronic components.

[0022] In some embodiments, the system further comprises a control board having an array of a second electronic component thereon, the compliant connector electrically connecting the first electronic component to the second electronic component.

[0023] In some embodiments, the compliant connector comprises a pogo pin.

[0024] In yet another aspect, an electronic system is provided that includes an array of integrated circuit dies, an array of voltage regulation modules disposed on the array of integrated circuit dies, a printed circuit board having a plurality of groups of electrical contacts, and a compliant connector including groups of compliant connectors, each group of compliant connectors electrically connecting a voltage regulation module of the array of voltage regulation modules to a respective group of electrical contacts on the printed circuit board.

[0025] In some embodiments, the electronic system further comprises a plurality of compliant connector housings, each of the compliant connector housings configured to accommodate a respective group of the group of compliant connectors.

[0026] In some embodiments, the electronic system further comprises a cold plate located between the array of voltage regulation modules and the printed circuit board, with each of the compliant connector housings extending through a respective opening in the cold plate.

[0027] In some embodiments, each of the compliant connector housings includes a plurality of ribs configured to deform when the compliant connector housing is inserted into one of the openings.

[0028] In some embodiments, at least some of the openings in the cold plate have two pogo pin housings extending therethrough and groups of pogo pins within the two pogo pin housings that are each electrically connected to a different voltage regulation module.

[0029] In some embodiments, the compliant connector comprises a pogo pin. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a system-on-wafer (SoW) assembly with pogo pins according to one embodiment.

[0031] [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 illustrates an electronic subsystem assembly having multiple groups of pogo pins according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

[0032] [Figure 2A] 1C-1D are various views of an electronic system assembly including the electronic system subassembly of FIG. 1B. [Figure 2B] 1C-1D are various views of an electronic system assembly including the electronic system subassembly of FIG. 1B. [Figure 2C] 1C-1D are various views of an electronic system assembly including the electronic system subassembly of FIG. 1B. [Figure 2D] 1C-1D are various views of an electronic system assembly including the electronic system subassembly of FIG. 1B.

[0033] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2D.

[0034] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of line 4-4 in FIG. 2D, including the internal structure of the pogo pin housing.

[0035] [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 illustrates another embodiment of a portion of an electronic system subassembly having multiple groups of pogo pins in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] The following detailed description of certain embodiments presents various descriptions of specific embodiments. However, the innovations described herein can be implemented in many different ways, for example, as defined and encompassed by the claims. In this description, reference is made to the drawings in which like reference numbers and / or terms may indicate identical or functionally similar elements. It will be understood that the elements depicted in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It will further be understood that certain embodiments can include more elements than are shown in the drawings and / or a subset of the elements depicted in the drawings. Furthermore, some embodiments can incorporate any suitable combination of features from two or more drawings. The headings provided herein are for convenience only and are not intended to affect the meaning or scope of the claims. Electrical connections in electronic assemblies

[0037] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to connectors or other coupling devices that can be used to electrically connect two or more subassemblies of an electronic system assembly. Depending on the application, an exemplary electronic system assembly can include multiple electronic components that include electrical, thermal, and / or communication conductivity therebetween. Exemplary electronic components include, but are not limited to, systems on chips (SOCs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs), and the like.

[0038] To reduce the size of an electronic system, two or more electronic components can be stacked vertically, thereby occupying substantially the same footprint. As the overall size of the electronic components and the size of the individual contacts decrease, the tolerances of the connectors used to electrically connect the electronic components become tighter. It can be difficult to use traditional connectors (e.g., solder connections) while meeting the tolerances of the electronic components for a particular application. Compliant Connectors

[0039] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to the use of compliant connectors that can be used to connect electronic devices in an electronic system assembly. Although portions of the present disclosure describe the use of pogo pins as exemplary compliant connectors, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and any suitable compliant connector can be used in accordance with any suitable principles and advantages of the present disclosure. References to pogo pins in the present disclosure and figures are provided for illustrative purposes. Examples of compliant connectors that may be suitable for connecting electronic devices according to aspects of the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, pogo pins, flexible pins, spring contacts, and the like.

[0040] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to pogo pin connectors that can provide various advantages over other connectors. In many applications, electronic components are electrically connected using bond wires or other conductive materials that are soldered to pads on the electronic components. In addition to this type of soldering being time consuming, as the dimensions of electronic components and / or connector pads formed therein decrease, it becomes increasingly difficult to precisely solder connectors to corresponding pads without introducing soldering errors. Typical board-to-board connections may not work in relatively high tolerance applications.

[0041] A pogo pin is a type of connector that can be used for certain applications such as testing electronic components during manufacturing. Pogo pins are a type of spring-loaded electrical connector. Pogo pins can be used to connect electronic components, but there have been technical challenges associated with using pogo pins when assembling electronic systems.

[0042] Advantageously, pogo pins have much higher tolerances and lower distortions on electronic components compared to many other connector technologies. Using pogo pins for electrical, thermal, and / or communication conductive connections between electronic components in the products described herein can have several additional advantages. For example, in one aspect, the pogo pin arrangement includes structural support for the pins to facilitate packaging, shipping, and using the system without damaging the pogo pins. In another aspect, the pogo pin arrangement can facilitate assembly by eliminating soldering of components and making the pogo pins independent of the connected electronic components. In another aspect, the pogo pin arrangement can provide more precise alignment of the pins and corresponding pads, including minimal angular error below a threshold amount.

[0043] In yet another aspect, the placement of the housing for the pogo pins can press the housing towards the cold plate, thus reducing contact resistance during assembly of the pogo pins. In yet another aspect, the pogo pin housing can incorporate a bi-directional floating pin design to reduce forces and strain on both connected electronic components by balancing forces and tolerances from both sides. This can reduce pin contact resistance and heat generation while also minimizing overall board distortion.

[0044] In yet another aspect, the pogo pin arrangement can be improved by insert molding the pogo pin housing (e.g., cartridge) into the cold plate to provide cooling for the pins, add thermal grease between the pins and the cold plate, and reduce contact resistance.

[0045] The embodiments of the present disclosure can also be used for any board-to-board signal transmission where high current or a large number of signals are implemented. The technology disclosed herein is particularly well suited for applications where the space on the electrical component(s) for connection is relatively small and the overall footprint is relatively large. In certain embodiments, the pogo pins can be formed of a highly conductive material (e.g., Cu alloy). The cartridge can be a material that can achieve high electrical resistance and good thermal conductivity.

[0046] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that individual implementations of pogo pin arrangements according to aspects of the present application may involve satisfying all or any of the identified benefits. Further, in one or more embodiments of the present application, additional advantages may also be realized.

[0047] The pogo pins can electrically connect electronic components of a first array of electronic components to electronic components of a second array of electronic components. One exemplary application of electronic components that can be connected by pogo pins is an array of voltage regulation modules (VRMs) and an array of circuits on a control printed circuit board (also called a control board). Additionally, aspects of the present disclosure can be used to connect other suitable combinations of electronic components, including, but not limited to, a printed circuit board to a wafer, a printed circuit board to a panel, two printed circuit boards together, a first array of VRMs to a second array of VRMs, and the like.

[0048] FIG. 1A shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of an SoW assembly 10 after coupling a mid-plate 18 (such as a cold plate) with a voltage regulation module (VRM) 16 on a system-on-wafer 14 on one side and a control board 20 on the other side. As shown in FIG. 1A, the SoW assembly 10 includes a cooling component 12, an SoW 14, a VRM 16, a mid-plate 18, and a control board 20. The SoW 14 can include an array of integrated circuit dies. The array of VRMs 16 is one example of an array of electronic components that can be arranged as shown in FIG. 1A. The arrangement of FIG. 1A can be applied to a variety of different electronic components.

[0049] The control board 20 may include an array of electronic components 22. The electronic components 22 may each be control circuitry configured to control a corresponding one of the VRMs 16. For example, the electronic components 22 may be configured to provide power and / or control signals to the corresponding VRMs 16 to operate the VRMs 16. The mid-plate 18 may include a number of openings having pogo pins 24 therein.

[0050] The pogo pins 24 can electrically connect the control board 20 to the VRM 16. For example, each of the openings can be configured to receive multiple pogo pins 24, which can be housed in a housing, such as a cartridge. The pogo pins 24 can be configured to connect electrical components disposed on opposite sides of the mid-plate 18 to provide power and / or control signals between the electrical components disposed on the opposite sides of the mid-plate 18. The pogo pins 24 can be implemented according to any suitable principles and advantages disclosed herein. The pogo pins disclosed herein can connect any suitable array of electronic components.

[0051] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the use of an arrangement of pogo pins to provide signal, thermal, and / or communication connections to subassemblies of an electronic assembly. Specifically, FIG. 1B illustrates an electronic subsystem assembly 100 having multiple groups of pogo pins according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] 1B, an electronic system subassembly 100 and a plurality of pogo pin housings 104 (also referred to as "cartridges"). Each of the housings 104 can house a plurality of pogo pins 106 and can help align the pogo pins 106 with corresponding pads on an electronic component(s) as described herein. Advantageously, the use of the pogo pin housings 104 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can provide structural support to the pogo pins 106, thereby allowing the pogo pins 106 to be more easily packaged, shipped, and used without damaging the pogo pins 106. For example, the pogo pin housings 104 can prevent the pogo pins 106 from bending during shipping and handling. Thus, the pogo pin housings 104 can provide sufficient stability and alignment to the pogo pins 106 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] The pogo pins 106 can be positioned between electronic components located on either side of the pogo pins 106. In the illustrated embodiment, each housing 104 is positioned along an edge of the subassembly 100. FIG. 1B shows the electronic system subassembly 100 having an arrangement of 36 pogo pins 106. The arrangement of the pogo pins 106 includes four separate subarrangements of nine pogo pins 106 on each of the four edges of the electronic system subassembly. However, aspects of the disclosure are not limited to the arrangement of FIG. 1B, and there may be more or fewer groups, more or fewer pogo pins 106, and the groups of pogo pins 106 may be positioned at different locations relative to the subassembly. Advantageously, by using pogo pins 106 to connect electronic components, assembly of the electronic system subassembly 100 is simplified by eliminating the need to precisely solder components while ensuring that the soldered points are independent of the connected electronic components. The pogo pins 106 further provide more precise alignment with pads on an electronic component than a soldered connector.

[0054] Depending on the implementation, the pogo pins 106 may further be arranged according to a repeatable pattern that may be scaled based on one or more of the power, thermal, or communication specifications of the electronic system subassembly 100. Illustratively, the arrangement of the pogo pins 106 may be utilized particularly in the context of a mid-plate (e.g., cold plate) of an electronic system assembly.

[0055] The pogo pins 106 are configured to couple (e.g., provide electrical, thermal, and / or communication conductivity) to electronic component(s) (not shown) disposed above and below the pogo pins 106. The pogo pin housing 104 is configured to align the individual pogo pins 106 with corresponding contacts (e.g., pads) formed on the electronic components.

[0056] 2A-2D show multiple views of an electronic system assembly 200 including the electronic system subassembly 100 of FIG. 1B. In particular, FIG. 2A shows the placement of a pogo pin housing 104 relative to a mid-plate 202 (such as a cold plate) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2B provides a close-up view of an opening 204 (e.g., a slot) in the mid-plate 202 into which a pogo pin housing 104 is inserted according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2C shows another opening 204 into which two pogo pin housings 104 are inserted according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2D is a top view of two pogo pin housings 104 positioned within corresponding openings 204.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 2A, the electronic system assembly 200 includes a middle plate 202 formed between a plurality of pairs of electronic components. The electronic system assembly 200 further includes an array of electronic subassemblies 100 shown in FIG. 1B. Each subassembly 100 can be configured to couple a pair of electronic components disposed on either side of a pogo pin 106. Thus, the array of electronic component pairs can be connected via the pogo pins 106 included in the electronic system assembly 200. A relatively large number of pogo pins can be used to provide electrical connections to each electronic component of the array. The features of the pogo pin assemblies disclosed herein can help overcome technical challenges related to manufacturing time and alignment in forming a large number of electrical connections in a relatively small physical area of ​​such an electronic component array. For example, in certain applications, there can be hundreds of pogo pins in the electronic system assembly 200. In some applications, there can be more than 1000 pogo pins in the electronic system assembly 200. Use of the pogo pin housings 104 described herein can make the process of assembling the pogo pins 106 within the electronic system assembly 200 repeatable and faster than using other connector types. The mid-plate 202 further includes a plurality of openings 204, 206 formed therein. Each opening 204, 206 is configured to receive one or more pogo pin housings 104. The mid-plate 202 can be, for example, a cold plate.

[0058] The opening 204 shown in Figure 2B is configured to receive a single pogo pin housing 104. In some implementations, the opening 204 in Figure 2B may be located at an edge of the electronic system assembly 200 such that the pogo pin 106 located in the opening couples a pair of electronic components.

[0059] As shown in FIGS. 2C and 2D, the opening 206 is configured to receive two pogo pin housings 104. The pogo pins 106 in each pogo pin housing 104 can be configured to couple different pairs of electronic components. That is, the edges of adjacent pairs of electronic components can be substantially aligned with the interface between the pair of pogo pin housings 104 received in the opening 206. As described in connection with FIG. 3, by inserting the two pogo pin housings 104 into a single opening 206, a pogo pin housing 104 can push another to fit into the opening 206. The pogo pin housings 104 can be designed such that one side having a shape is complementary to the same side of another pogo pin housing 104. For example, the complementary sides can have interlocking grooves 208 and ridges 210 that align the pogo pin housings 104 with each other.

[0060] In some embodiments, the pogo pin housings 104 can be molded such that they can fit into either type of opening 204 or 206. For example, a single pogo pin housing 104 can be press-fit into opening 204 as shown in Figure 2B, or a pair of pogo pin housings 104 can fit into openings 206 as shown in Figures 2C and 2D. Thus, there is no need to design different pogo pin housings 104 based on the opening into which the pogo pin housing 104 is inserted.

[0061] The openings 204, 206, together with the pogo pin housing 104, are configured to provide a sufficient level of perpendicularity for the pogo pins 106 to contact respective contact points on the electronic component. In some embodiments, the openings 204, 206 and the pogo pin housing 104 can provide perpendicularity within a range of, for example, 0.3 degrees, 0.4 degrees, 0.5 degrees, 0.6 degrees, 0.7 degrees, etc. However, other amounts of perpendicularity can be provided depending on the implementation.

[0062] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of line 3-3 in FIG. 2D. As shown in FIG. 3, the pogo pins 106 are configured to contact one of the first electronic components 302a, 302b disposed above the intermediate plate 202 and one of the second electronic components 304a, 304b disposed below the intermediate plate 202. The pogo pin housings 104 can be press-fitted into the openings 206 formed in the intermediate plate 202. Furthermore, each of the pogo pin housings 104 includes one or more ribs 306. The ribs 306 can deform when the pogo pin housings 104 are inserted into the openings 206, fixing the pogo pin housings 104 in place. Thus, the pogo pin housings 104 can generate forces against each other and the openings 206 to help fix the pogo pins 106.

[0063] In some embodiments, the pogo pin housing 104 and the ribs 306 may be formed of molded plastic and the middle plate 202 may be formed of metal to facilitate deformation of the ribs 306 when the pogo pin housing 104 is inserted into the openings 204, 206. The ribs 306 may be crushed upon insertion of the pogo pin housing 104 into the corresponding openings 204, 206 to help secure the pogo pin housing 104 into the corresponding openings 204, 206. In some implementations, each pogo pin housing 104 may be molded in two pieces that are combined together to form the body of the pogo pin housing 104. In some implementations, the selection of materials for the pogo pins 106 and the pogo pin housing 104 is selected to provide a thermal conductance of over 10 W / mK while still providing a thermal conductance of over 10 W / mK. 13 It may even provide electrical insulation of more than ohms, however, these are merely exemplary values ​​and other materials may provide greater or lesser amounts of electrical insulation and thermal conductance.

[0064] According to aspects of the present application, the pogo pins 106 can be arranged such that the individual pogo pins 106 generate a force against one another within the pogo pin housing 104. This can reduce contact resistance, particularly in embodiments where the arrangement of the pogo pins 106 is utilized to adhere to the middle plate 202.

[0065] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of line 4-4 of FIG. 2D, including the internal structure of the pogo pin housing 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the pogo pin housing 104 can include a pair of springs 402 for each pair of pogo pins 106. Thus, the pogo pin housing 104 provides bi-directional floating such that the force applied to each individual pogo pin 106 is independent of the force applied to the other pogo pins 106. In some implementations, the bi-directional floating design of the pogo pin housing 104 can provide a substantially constant force to each of the electronic components 302a, 304a. The bi-directional floating design also allows the relatively small pogo pins 106 to accommodate higher tolerances, and the illustrated spring design facilitates automatic absorption of the balancing force.

[0066] In certain embodiments, such as high current applications, additional cooling can be provided by inserting the pogo pin housing 104 into an opening in the middle plate 202, which is a cold plate. The cold plate can be configured to cool the electronic components 302a, 304a as well as the pogo pin housing 104 and the pogo pins 106. Coolant flowing through the cold plate can provide active cooling. Press-fit solid shields can be utilized to cool the pogo pin housing 104 and the pogo pins 106. Additionally, thermal epoxy can be provided to provide additional thermal conduction / cooling of the pogo pin housing 104 and the pogo pins 106.

[0067] 4 also shows pogo pin touch pads 404 (also referred to as "pads") formed on a surface of each of the electronic components 302a, 304a. The pads 404 provide contact points at which the individual pogo pins 106 can contact the electronic components to form electrical, thermal, and / or communication conductive paths between the electronic components 302a, 304a.

[0068] Although the pogo pins 106 are shown as having approximately hemispherical or rounded ends, aspects of the present disclosure are not so limited. For example, the pogo pins 106 can have sharper ends (e.g., conical) that can better puncture or penetrate debris or other contaminants located on the pogo pin touch pad 404.

[0069] 5 illustrates another embodiment of a portion of an electronic system subassembly 500 having multiple groups of pogo pins, according to aspects of the disclosure. In contrast to the embodiment of FIG. 1B, the pogo pin housing 504 is positioned away from the edge of the subassembly 500 and includes a two-dimensional array of pogo pins 106. Furthermore, by providing a greater number of pogo pins 106 per pogo pin housing 504, the number of housings 504 can be reduced compared to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B. Furthermore, in some implementations such as FIG. 5, each opening can receive a single pogo pin housing 504.

[0070] In some embodiments, the pogo pins 106 can have various diameters depending on the function of the pogo pins 106. For example, certain electronic components, such as VRMs, may consume a relatively large amount of power to operate at optimal parameters (e.g., for high density computer applications), but also use electrical connections for less power intensive control signals. Such applications involve passing many signals and power while at the same time having limited area for cooling high temperature components. The amount of power that can be provided by the pogo pins 106 may be limited by the resistance of the pogo pins 106, which is related to the diameter of the pogo pins 106. Thus, the pogo pins 106 used to power the electronic components may have a larger diameter than other pogo pins 106 housed within the pogo pin housing 504 (or within the housing 104).

[0071] In some implementations, instead of or in addition to using a larger diameter pogo pin 106, multiple pogo pins 106 may be connected to a single pad 404, thereby allowing the multiple pogo pins 106 to provide a larger amount of power to the pad 404. Alternatively, multiple pogo pins 106 providing the same voltage may be connected to multiple pads 404 that are electrically connected within the VRM.

[0072] The number of pogo pins 106 shown in each pogo pin housing 504 is not necessarily shown to scale in Figure 5. In an exemplary embodiment, the number of pogo pins 106 may be 26 or 36 for each subassembly 500, although any suitable number of pogo pins 106 may be included depending on the design of the subassembly 500 (or subassembly 100). conclusion

[0073] The foregoing disclosure is not intended to limit the disclosure to the exact form or specific field of use disclosed. Thus, various alternative embodiments and / or modifications to the disclosure, whether expressly described or implied herein, are possible in light of the disclosure. Although embodiments of the disclosure have been described in this manner, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is limited only by the scope of the claims.

[0074] In the above specification, the disclosure has been described with reference to certain embodiments. However, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, the various embodiments disclosed herein can be modified or otherwise embodied in various other ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Thus, this description should be considered as illustrative and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art how to make and use the various embodiments of the disclosed press-fit connector assembly. It should be understood that the forms of the disclosure shown and described herein should be construed as representative embodiments. Equivalent elements, materials, processes or steps may be substituted for those typically shown and described herein. Furthermore, certain features of the disclosure can be utilized independently of the use of other features, all as will become apparent to those skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the disclosure. The terms "including," "comprising," "incorporating," "consisting of," "have," "is," and the like, used to describe and claim the disclosure, are intended to be construed in a non-exclusive manner, i.e., allowing for the presence of items, components, or elements not expressly described. References to the singular are also to be construed as relating to the plural.

[0075] Furthermore, the various embodiments disclosed herein should be construed in an exemplary and explanatory sense, and in no way should be construed as limiting the present disclosure. All joint references (e.g., attached, fixed, coupled, connected, etc.) are used only to aid the reader in understanding the present disclosure, and do not create any limitations with respect to the position, orientation, or use of the systems and / or methods disclosed herein in particular. Thus, any reference to joints, if any, should be interpreted broadly. Moreover, such joint references do not necessarily mean that two elements are directly connected to each other. Furthermore, without limitation, all numerical terms such as "first", "second", "third", "primary", "secondary", "main", or any other conventional and / or numerical terms should also be interpreted only as identifiers to aid the reader in understanding the various elements, embodiments, variations and / or modifications of the present disclosure, and in particular do not create any limitations with respect to the order or preference of any element, embodiment, variation and / or modification relative to or over another element, embodiment, variation and / or modification.

[0076] It will also be understood that one or more of the elements shown in the drawings / figures may also be implemented in a more separated or integrated manner, or even removed or rendered inoperative in certain cases, as may be useful depending on the particular application.

Claims

1. A system, an array of first electronic components, an array of second electronic components, wherein each of the second electronic components is paired with a corresponding one of the first electronic components, a plurality of compliant connector housings, each of the compliant connector housings accommodating a plurality of compliant connectors configured to electrically couple corresponding pairs of the first electronic components and the second electronic components, A system comprising the above.

2. Each of the first electronic component and the second electronic component includes a plurality of compliant connector pads on at least one side of the electronic component, The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the compliant connectors is configured to contact one of the compliant connector pads.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the compliant connector pads is connected to a plurality of the compliant connectors.

4. An intermediate plate, wherein the first electronic component is disposed on a first side of the intermediate plate, the second electronic component is disposed on a second side of the intermediate plate, and the second side is opposite to the first side, further comprising an intermediate plate, The intermediate plate has a plurality of openings therethrough, The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the compliant connector housings is configured to be press-fitted into one of the openings of the intermediate plate.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein each of the compliant connector housings includes a plurality of ribs configured to deform when the respective compliant connector housing is inserted into one of the openings.

6. The intermediate plate includes a cold plate configured to cool the first electronic component, the second electronic component, and the compliant connector, and a thermal epoxy is provided between the compliant connector housing and the cold plate to provide further thermal cooling of the compliant connector. The system according to claim 4.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein at least some of the openings are configured to receive two compliant connector housings.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein each group of compliant connectors configured to couple different pairs of the first electronic component and the second electronic component is received by two of the compliant connector housings within the same opening.

9. The compliant connectors are arranged in pairs such that the first of the pair of compliant connectors is configured for the first of the corresponding pair of the first electronic component and the second electronic component, and the second of the pair of compliant connectors is configured to contact the second of the corresponding pair of the first electronic component and the second electronic component. The system according to claim 1.

10. Each of the compliant connector housings includes a pair of springs for each pair of compliant connectors, and the springs within the compliant connector housing provide bi-directional floating such that the force applied to each of the compliant connectors is independent of the force applied to the other of the compliant connectors. The system according to claim 9.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the compliant connectors of the compliant connector housing is arranged to form a two-dimensional array.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the compliant connector is further configured to provide electrical, thermal, and / or communication conductivity between corresponding pairs of the first electronic component and the second electronic component.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the compliant connector comprises a pogo pin.

14. A system, an array of first electronic components, a plurality of compliant connector assemblies, each of the compliant connector assemblies comprising a group of compliant connectors and a housing around the group of compliant connectors, wherein each of the first electronic components comprises one or more pads electrically connected to at least one of the groups of compliant connectors of the respective compliant connector assemblies of the compliant connector assemblies.

15. A cold plate disposed on one side of the array of the first electronic components, the cold plate being configured to cool the first electronic components and having a plurality of openings therethrough, further comprising a cold plate. The system according to claim 14, wherein each of the housings is configured to be press-fitted into one of the openings of the cold plate.

16. A control board, further comprising a control board arranged such that the cold plate is located between the array of the first electronic components and the control board. The compliant connector is configured to electrically connect the first electronic component to the control board, and the control board is configured to provide power and / or control signals to the first electronic component. The system according to claim 15.

17. Further comprising a control board having an array of second electronic components thereon, The compliant connector electrically connects the first electronic component to the second electronic component. The system according to claim 15.

18. The compliant connector includes pogo pins. The system according to claim 14.

19. An electronic system, An array of integrated circuit dies, An array of voltage regulation modules disposed on the array of integrated circuit dies, A printed circuit board having a plurality of groups of electrical contacts, A plurality of compliant connector housings, each of the compliant connector housings being configured to accommodate a group of compliant connectors, and each group of compliant connectors electrically connecting a voltage regulation module of the array of voltage regulation modules to a respective group of electrical contacts on the printed circuit board. A plurality of compliant connector housings, An electronic system comprising.

20. Further comprising a cold plate located between the array of voltage regulation modules and the printed circuit board, Each of the compliant connector housings extends through a respective opening in the cold plate. The electronic system according to claim 19.

21. The electronic system according to claim 20, wherein each of the compliant connector housings includes a plurality of ribs configured to deform when the compliant connector housing is inserted into one of the openings.

22. The electronic system according to claim 19, wherein the compliant connector includes a pogo pin.

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