Reinforced Integrated Circuit Component Power Supply

Abstract

To provide a reinforced integrated circuit component power supply.SOLUTION: A device includes: an integrated circuit component including one or more integrated circuits; and a power interposer physically coupled with the integrated circuit component, and having one or more voltage regulator module connections arranged on a first surface of the power interposer, and a plurality of socket connections arranged on a second surface of the power interposer, in which the first surface and the second surface face to opposite sides to each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Background Art

[0003] ,

[0001] Voltage regulators are used in computing systems to convert an input power signal (e.g., 12V, 48V) into one or more regulated power signals used by integrated circuit components. Some existing voltage regulator modules are plugged into connectors attached to the system board in the vicinity where the integrated circuit components are located. Other existing voltage regulators are integrated into the integrated circuit components.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0002] [Figure 1] An example of a processor module to which a voltage regulator module for supplying a regulated power signal to an integrated circuit component is attached is shown. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view of an exemplary voltage regulator module. [Figure 3] It is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary processor module to which an exemplary voltage regulator module is attached. [Figure 4] Figures 4A and 4B are diagrams showing exemplary signal breakouts from sockets with and without power entry. [Figure 5] shows the exemplary socket breakout of Figure 4B together with various printed circuit board layers used in various areas of the breakout for signal routing. [Figure 6] It is an exemplary regulated power signal delivery method. <000002!> [Figure 7] It is a block diagram of an exemplary computing system that can utilize the enhanced integrated circuit component power delivery technology described herein.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0003] Each processor generation sees an increasing demand for processor performance. This increase in performance generally accompanies increased power consumption and a greater number of I / O signals required to transport data to and from the processor. Processor area generally does not scale with the I / O signal count across successive processor generations, resulting in increased signal routing congestion around the processor. This increased congestion necessitates an increase in the number of layers within the system board, providing additional area for routing I / O and power signals to the processor.

[0004] Voltage regulators, which supply regulated power signals to the processor, are growing in size with each processor generation to accommodate the increasing power consumption of processors. The area of ​​the system board occupied by the voltage regulator may fit longer on one side of the system board, and next-generation server systems may have to adopt bilateral power signal entries so that regulated power signals are supplied to both sides of the processor. This may result in further I / O signal congestion and add an extra layer to the system board.

[0005] The first type of existing voltage regulator module plugs into a connector mounted on the system board near the integrated circuit components that supply the regulated power signals. The connector is typically an edge-finger connector, which aligns the module in parallel with nearby dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs) while holding the voltage regulator module orthogonal to the system board. While this type of voltage regulator module can free up space on the system board and provide supplemental power to integrated circuit components, it does not reduce the number of regulated power signals sent to the integrated circuit components, or the number of power signal connections to the integrated circuit components to which the regulated power signals are sent. Therefore, this type of voltage regulator module provides only marginal improvements to power and I / O signal congestion. Furthermore, this type of voltage regulator module either reduces the amount of space available for DIMMs or the amount of space available for the heatsinks of the integrated circuit components, both of which can thermally limit system performance. As processor power consumption increases over time, the thermal performance of the processor's heatsink also needs to increase, often in the form of a larger heatsink. Voltage regulator modules should not encroach on the space surrounding the DIMM to accommodate a larger processor heatsink solution. This is because the DIMM itself also experiences increased thermal management demands as its I / O bandwidth increases over time. Thus, the appeal of adopting this first type of voltage regulator module in next-generation computing systems is likely to diminish.

[0006] A second type of existing voltage regulator is integrated into integrated circuit components. These voltage regulators reduce the processing yield of integrated circuits and limit the voltage regulator options available to original design manufacturers (ODMs) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

[0007] Disclosed herein is an enhanced integrated circuit component power supply technique for mitigating power and I / O signal routing congestion to integrated circuit components. The disclosed processor module includes an integrated circuit component mounted on a power interposer. One or more voltage regulator modules are mounted on the power interposer via connectors and oriented substantially parallel to the integrated circuit component. The power interposer interfaces with a system board via sockets. By moving the voltage regulator modules from the system board to the power interposer, the routing of regulated power signals from the voltage regulator modules to the integrated circuit component does not interfere with the routing of I / O signals to sockets within the system board, thereby reducing signal routing congestion.

[0008] The following description includes specific details, but embodiments of the technology described herein may be implemented without these details. Well-known circuits, structures, and technologies are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the understanding of this description. "Embodiments," "various embodiments," "some embodiments," etc., may include features, structures, or characteristics, but not all embodiments necessarily include such features, structures, or characteristics.

[0009] Some embodiments may have some, all, of the features described for other embodiments, or none of them. “First,” “Second,” “Third,” etc., describe similar objects and indicate different specific examples of similar objects being referenced. Such adjectives do not imply that the objects described in this way have a particular order, whether temporal, spatial, in order of ranking, or otherwise. “Combined” may indicate that elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with one another. “Combined” may mean that elements cooperate or interact with one another, even if they are not in direct physical or electrical contact. Terms modified by the term “substantially” include configurations, orientations, spacings, or positions that differ slightly in meaning from the unmodified terms. For example, a voltage regulator module oriented substantially parallel to an integrated circuit component includes a voltage regulator module oriented parallel to the integrated circuit component by a few degrees or less.

[0010] The description may use the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in multiple embodiments,” “in several embodiments,” and / or “in various embodiments,” each of which may refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, terms such as “to have,” “to include,” and “to possess” are synonyms when used in reference to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0011] As used herein, the term “integrated circuit component” refers to a packaged or unpacked integrated circuit product. A packaged integrated circuit component has one or more integrated circuits. In one example, a packaged integrated circuit component includes one or more processor units and a solder ball grid array on the outer surface of the package. In an example of an unpackaged integrated circuit component, a single monolithic integrated circuit die has solder bumps attached to contacts on the die. The solder bumps allow the die to be directly mounted to a printed circuit board, such as a power interposer. An integrated circuit component may include one or more integrated circuits described or referenced herein, such as processor units (e.g., System-on-a-chip (SoC), processor cores, graphics processing units (GPUs), accelerators), I / O controllers, chipset processors, memory, or network interface controllers.

[0012] Here, the drawings may be referenced, and in the drawings, similar or identical numbers may be used to indicate the same or similar parts in different drawings. The use of similar or identical numbers in different drawings does not mean that all drawings containing similar or identical numbers constitute a single or identical embodiment. In the following description, numerous specific details are given for explanatory purposes and to provide a complete understanding. However, it will be apparent that novel embodiments can be carried out without these specific details. In other examples, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to facilitate their description. These are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the claims.

[0013] Figure 1 shows an example of a processor module with a voltage regulator module attached that supplies regulated power signals to an integrated circuit component. The processor module 100 includes an integrated circuit component 110 and a power interposer 120. A pair of voltage regulator modules 130 are physically coupled to the processor module 100. The integrated circuit component 110 has an integrated circuit 132 in a package 134. The integrated circuit component 110 includes a plurality of power signal connectors 170 and a plurality of input / output (I / O) signal connectors 172, which are mounted as a solder ball grid array (BGA) 136. The power interposer 120 includes a printed circuit board 188 that sends regulated power signals from the voltage regulator module 130 to the integrated circuit component 110. The power interposer 120 connects to the voltage regulator module 130 via a plurality of voltage regulator module connectors 122 located on a first surface 126.

[0014] Each voltage regulator module 130 comprises a voltage regulator module printed circuit board 184 on which a heatsink 140 and a voltage regulator circuit 142 are mounted. The voltage regulator board 184 is oriented substantially parallel to the power interposer 120. Each voltage regulator module 130 is physically coupled to the power interposer 120 via an interconnect socket 146. In some embodiments, the interconnect socket 146 is a connector with a low z-height. A DIMM 194 is mounted orthogonally to the system board 150 and orthogonally to the voltage regulator modules 130.

[0015] In some embodiments, the voltage regulator circuit 142 includes one or more power metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). The voltage regulator module 130 generates one or more regulated power signals used by the integrated circuit component 110 based on one or more input power signals. In some embodiments, the voltage regulator module 130 provides multiple regulated voltages used by various components of the integrated circuit component 110. For example, the voltage regulator module 130 can generate regulated processing unit power signals used by one or more processor cores, regulated GPU power signals used by graphics processing unit (GPU) cores, regulated I / O power signals used by I / O circuits, regulated memory power signals used by one or more memories, and regulated PLL power signals used by a phase-locked loop (PLL).

[0016] In some embodiments, the voltage regulator module 130 may include, in addition to or instead of, the voltage regulator circuit 142, one or more processor units described or referenced herein. For example, instead of the voltage regulator circuit 142, module 130 may include an accelerator processor unit, a graphics processing unit, or a general-purpose graphics processing unit. In such embodiments, instead of being called a “voltage regulator module,” module 130 may be called an accelerator module, a GPU module, a GPGPU module, or another appropriately named module, depending on the type of processor unit placed on module 130. In some embodiments, different modules 130 may include different components. For example, a first module mounted on an interposer attached to an integrated circuit component may be a voltage regulator module, and a second module mounted on the interposer may be an accelerator module.

[0017] In some embodiments, the integrated circuit component 110 includes one or more integrated circuit dies that operate together with one or more integrated circuit dies mounted on one or more modules 130 that provide processor unit functionality. For example, the integrated circuit component 110 may comprise multiple processor cores, and the modules 130 may comprise accelerators. In some embodiments, an embedded silicon bridge interconnect (e.g., Intel® embedded multi-die interconnect bridge (EMIB)) can be used to connect the integrated circuit dies contained in the integrated circuit component to integrated circuit dies located on the modules 130, to interconnect multiple integrated circuit dies located on the modules 130, or to interconnect multiple integrated circuit dies located within the integrated circuit component 110.

[0018] The regulated power signal generated by the voltage regulator module 130 is sent from the integrated circuit component 110 to the power signal connection 170 of the integrated circuit component 110 via the voltage regulator module connection 122, for example, via an internal conductive plane or trace of the power interposer printed circuit board extending to the plane 178 shown in inset 180. The input power signal (e.g., 12V, 48V) is supplied from the system board 150 to the voltage regulator module 130 by pins 160 connected to the voltage regulator module 130 by connector 162. In other embodiments, the input power signal can be supplied to the voltage regulator module 130 in other ways, such as via a cable connector.

[0019] In some embodiments, the interconnection socket 146 is a dual compression socket that allows the voltage regulator module 130 to be detachably mounted to the processor module 100, enabling the processor module 100 to be used with various voltage regulator module designs. In other embodiments, the voltage regulator module 130 is detachably mounted to the power interposer 120 via other types of connectors. In some embodiments, the voltage regulator module 130 is securely mounted to the power interposer 120 via a ball grid array or the like. The power interposer 120 and the voltage regulator module 130 can be designed to accommodate thermal management solutions (e.g., heat sinks, liquid-cooled cold plates) used to keep the integrated circuit components 110 cool. For example, the width 192 of the power interposer and / or the space 196 between the voltage regulator module components can be designed to accommodate a heat sink mounted to the integrated circuit components 110.

[0020] As shown in insert 180, multiple through-holes 174 (e.g., direct pass-through connections, substrate vias) within the power interposer 120 connect I / O signal connections 172 to multiple socket connections 128 located on a second surface 138 of the power interposer 120. The second surface 138 faces away from the first surface 126 of the power interposer. The power interposer 120 is physically coupled to the system board 150 via sockets 154, which electrically connect multiple system board connections 158 to the socket connections 128, thereby connecting the I / O signal connections 172 of the integrated circuit component 110 to the system board 150. The sockets 154 are mounted to the system board 150 via a ball grid array 164. The system board 150 transmits I / O signals from the integrated circuit component 110 from the system board connections to other components connected to the system board 150 via one or more system board traces. In some embodiments, the socket connection 128 includes a land grid array or a pin grid array, and the socket 154 can be of a socket type compatible with the type of socket connection used. The processor module 100 includes a monolithic ceramic capacitor 198 that helps limit the power signal degradation in the regulated power signal.

[0021] It delivers regulated power signals (via conductive surfaces within the power interposer 120) and I / O signals (via socket 154 and power interposer through-hole 174). Separately to the integrated circuit component 110 Route Set By doing so, the aforementioned signal routing congestion problem is avoided or mitigated. The I / O signals pass through the power interposer 120 and do not need to compete with the entry of the regulated power signals to the integrated circuit component 110. Ku The shape of the plane or trace of the printed circuit board used to transport the regulated power signals to the integrated circuit components is not restricted and may overflow into the area of ​​the power interposer 120.

[0022] Two voltage regulator modules 130 are shown in FIG. 1, but in other embodiments, a single voltage regulator module can supply the regulated power signal to the integrated circuit component 110. In still other embodiments, additional voltage regulator modules can provide additional regulated power signals to the integrated circuit component 110. In some embodiments, the processor module 100 can accommodate multiple voltage regulator modules in an arrangement different from that shown in FIG. 1. For example, in an embodiment with two voltage regulator modules, both voltage regulator modules can be arranged close to the same side of the integrated circuit component (e.g., both voltage regulator modules are close to the upper, left, right, or bottom side of the integrated circuit component as viewed from above), or close to adjacent sides of the integrated circuit component (e.g., one voltage regulator is close to the upper side of the integrated circuit component as viewed from above, and the other voltage regulator module is close to the left or right side of the integrated circuit component).

[0023] In some embodiments, the integrated circuit component 110 provides one or more voltage regulator control signals to the voltage regulator module 130, enabling dynamic adjustment of one or more regulated power voltages generated by the voltage regulator module 130. These voltage regulator control signals can be sent from the integrated circuit component 110 to the voltage regulator module 130 via the power interposer 120. In some embodiments, an input power signal that generates a power signal regulated for use by the integrated circuit component 110 in one of the voltage regulator modules 130 can be sent from the system board 150 to one of the voltage regulator modules 130 via socket 154 and the power interposer 120. Supplying an input power signal to one of the voltage regulator modules 130 via socket 154 utilizes fewer socket pins than if socket 154 were to supply a regulated power signal from the system board 150 to the integrated circuit component 110, and the current delivered by the socket pin supplying the input power signal to the voltage regulator module 130 is lower than if the socket pin were to supply a regulated power signal to the integrated circuit component 110.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary voltage regulator module. The voltage regulator module 200 includes a printed circuit board 210, a plurality of power MOSFETs 220, a voltage regulator controller 230, a heat sink 240, and an input power connector 250. In some embodiments, the voltage regulator module 200 can support different input power signal voltages and / or can be configured to enable setting the voltage level of the regulated power signal generated by the voltage regulator module 200. A configurable voltage regulator module can enable a single system board design and facilitate multiple system configurations. In some embodiments, the voltage regulator module 200 can be set via a voltage regulator control signal supplied to the voltage regulator controller 230. The input power connector 250 is a press-fit connector that connects to press-fit pins of an input power signal attached to the system board. As described above, the input power signal can be supplied to the voltage regulator module 200 by any of various alternative approaches such as a cable connector or a power interposer.

[0025] The voltage regulator module 200 can be physically coupled to the power interposer using various attachment methods. For example, the voltage regulator module 200 can be connected to an interconnect socket for connecting to the power interposer. The voltage regulator module 200 can be connected to the interconnect socket via a land grid array or a pin grid array disposed on the bottom surface 260 of the voltage regulator module 200. As described above, in some embodiments, a dual compression socket can be used to connect the voltage regulator module 200 to the power interposer. In other embodiments, the voltage regulator module 200 can be soldered to the power interposer via a ball grid array disposed on the bottom surface 260. The interconnect socket for connecting (For example, interconnection socket 146) to. The voltage regulator module 200 can be connected to the interconnect socket via a land grid array or a pin grid array disposed on the bottom surface 260 of the voltage regulator module 200. As described above, in some embodiments, a dual compression socket can be used to connect the voltage regulator module 200 to the power interposer. In other embodiments, the voltage regulator module 200 can be soldered to the power interposer via a ball grid array disposed on the bottom surface 260.

[0026] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary processor module with an exemplary voltage regulator module attached. The processor module 300 comprises an integrated circuit component 310 attached to a power interposer 320. The power interposer 320 comprises a plurality of voltage regulator module connectors 330. The power interposer 320 is physically coupled to the voltage regulator module 340 via interconnection sockets 350 connected to the voltage regulator module connectors 330. The power interposer 320 is connected to a system board 360 via sockets 370 and is shown in the LGA4677 form factor. Straight pins 380 supply input power signals from the system board 360 to the voltage regulator module 340.

[0027] Figures 4A and 4B illustrate exemplary signal breakouts (routing of signals from a socket) with and without power entries. Figure 4A shows a breakout 400 around socket 404 on a 16-layer system board 406 for four 24-lane Intel® Ultra-Path Interconnect (UPI) 32 (gigabytes per second) GT / s links 410, five 16-lane Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) GT / s links 420, one 8-lane Direct Media Interface (DMI) 32 GT / s link 430, eight Dual Data Rate (DDR) memory channels 440, and a VCCIN regulated power signal 450. Figure 4B shows a socket breakout 460 around socket 404 with a 12-layer system board 408 that does not have a VCCIN regulated power signal. The number of board layers can be reduced because it is not necessary to route I / O signals around the power trace of the system board. As can be seen from the diagram, by reducing the number of system board layers from 16 to 12, it becomes unnecessary to route control power signals to socket 404 via the system board, thus enabling I / O signals to be routed to socket 404 with less congestion. Routing Different components (e.g., power interposer) to Reducing the system board layer count by offloading the design results in cost savings in the overall system design.

[0028] Figure 5 shows an exemplary socket breakout of Figure 4B along with the various printed circuit board layers used in various areas of the I / O signal breakout. The 12-layer system board 408 comprises seven signal layers, namely a top microstrip layer, four stripline layers (S1, S2, S3, S4), and a bottom microstrip layer.

[0029] A disclosed processor module having a modular voltage regulator has at least the following advantages: Routing of adjusted power signals From the system board to the power interposer to By moving, the socket is attached. re A wider system board area near the location becomes available for I / O signal routing. This can shorten the routing length of I / O signal traces between memory modules (such as dual data rate (DDR) memory modules), improving performance. The length of UPI connections between processor sockets can also be shortened, further improving system performance. Furthermore, by freeing up socket pins previously used for regulated power signal delivery, the number of I / O features of integrated circuit components can be increased. In addition, voltage regulator modules can be placed closer to integrated circuit components, reducing the power signal load and the number of capacitors required for power interposers to control power signal degradation. Furthermore, the techniques described herein allow for the placement of more voltage regulator phases within the voltage regulator module, enabling the voltage regulator to support higher levels of power consumption of integrated circuit components. Furthermore, by placing the voltage regulator module parallel to the integrated circuit component, the voltage regulator module will not interfere with the thermal performance of the heatsink of adjacent DIMMs or integrated circuit components. Furthermore, the module voltage regulator module approach allows for OEM / ODM flexibility in system design. The configurable voltage regulator module allows a single system board to be used with various processor modules, and different voltage regulator modules can be used with the system board or integrated circuit components.

[0030] Figure 6 shows an example of an exemplary tuned power signal delivery method. Method 600 can be performed, for example, by a server system. In step 610, one or more power connectors supply one or more input power signals from a system board to a voltage regulator module. In step 620, the voltage regulator module generates one or more tuned power signals based on one or more input power signals. In step 630, a power interposer supplies one or more tuned power signals to integrated circuit components. In other embodiments, Method 600 may include additional elements. For example, Method 600 may further include providing multiple I / O signals from a system board to integrated circuit components via sockets and a power interposer.

[0031] The techniques, methods, and embodiments described herein can be implemented by any of a variety of computing systems, such as desktop computers, servers, workstations, stationary game consoles, set-top boxes, smart TVs, rack-level computing solutions (e.g., blades, trays, threads), and embedded computing systems (e.g., computing systems that are part of vehicles, smart home appliances, consumer electronics or equipment, or manufacturing equipment). As used herein, the term “computing system” includes a system that includes computing devices and comprises multiple discrete physical components. In some embodiments, the computing system is located in a data center such as an enterprise data center (e.g., a data center owned and operated by a company, typically located on the company's premises), a managed services data center (e.g., a data center operated by a third party on behalf of a company), a colocation data center (e.g., a data center where the data center infrastructure is provided by a data center host, and the company provides and manages its own data center components (such as servers)), a cloud data center (e.g., a data center operated by a cloud service provider that hosts a company's applications and data), and an edge data center (e.g., a data center that typically has a smaller footprint than other data centers, closer to the geographical area in which it provides services).

[0032] In general, the components shown in Figure 7 can communicate with other illustrated components, although not all connections are shown for the sake of clarity. The computing system 700 is a multiprocessor system having a first processor unit 702 and a second processor unit 704, both including point-to-point (PP) interconnects. The point-to-point (PP) interface 706 of processor unit 702 is coupled to the point-to-point interface 707 of processor unit 704 via the point-to-point interconnect 705. Needless to say, any or all of the point-to-point interconnects shown in Figure 7 can be alternatively implemented as multidrop buses, and any or all of the buses shown in Figure 7 can be replaced by point-to-point interconnects.

[0033] Processor units 702 and 704 each have multiple processor cores. Processor unit 702 has a processor core 708, and processor unit 704 has a processor core 710. Processor cores 708 and 710 can execute computer executable instructions in a manner similar to that described later in relation to Figure 8, or in other ways.

[0034] Processor units 702 and 704 further include cache memories 712 and 714, respectively. Cache memories 712 and 714 can store data (e.g., instructions) used by one or more components of processor units 702 and 704, such as processor cores 708 and 710. Cache memories 712 and 714 may also be part of a memory hierarchy for the computing system 700. For example, cache memory 712 can locally store data also stored in memory 716, enabling faster access to the data by processor unit 702. In some embodiments, cache memories 712 and 714 may include multiple cache levels, such as Level 1 (L1), Level 2 (L2), Level 3 (L3), Level 4 (L4), and / or other caches or cache levels, such as a final level cache (LLC). Some of these cache memories (e.g., L2, L3, L4, LLC) can be shared among multiple cores within the processor unit. One or more of the higher-level cache levels in the memory hierarchy (smaller, faster caches) can be located on the same integrated circuit die as the processor core, while one or more of the lower-level cache levels (larger, slower caches) can be located on an integrated circuit die physically separated from the processor core integrated circuit die.

[0035] Although the computing system 700 is shown with two processor units, the computing system 700 may contain any number of processor units. Furthermore, a processor unit may contain any number of processor cores. A processor unit can take various forms, such as a central processing unit (COU), graphics processing unit (GPU), general-purpose GPU (GPGPU), accelerated processing unit (APU), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), neural network processing unit (NPU), data processor unit (DPU), accelerator (e.g., graphics accelerator, digital signal processor (DSP), compression accelerator, artificial intelligence (AI) accelerator), controller, or other types of processing units. Thus, a processor unit may be referred to as an XPU (or xPU). Furthermore, a processor unit may contain one or more of these various types of processing units. In some embodiments, the computing system comprises a single processor unit having multiple cores, and in other embodiments, the computing system comprises a single processor unit having a single core. As used herein, the terms “processor unit” and “processing unit” may refer to any processor, processor core, component, module, engine, circuit, or any other processing element described or referenced herein.

[0036] In some embodiments, the computing system 700 may include one or more processor units that are heterogeneous or asymmetrical with respect to other processor units within the computing system. There may be various differences between processing units in the system with respect to a spectrum of metrics including architecture, microarchitecture, thermal, power consumption characteristics, etc. These differences may effectively manifest as asymmetry and heterogeneity between processor units in the system.

[0037] The processor units 702 and 704 may be located within a single integrated circuit component (e.g., a multi-chip package (MCP) or multi-chip module (MCM)) or within separate integrated circuit components. An integrated circuit component containing one or more processor units may include additional components such as embedded DRAM, stacked high-band memory (HBM), shared cache memory (e.g., L3, L4, LLC), input / output (I / O) controllers, or memory controllers. Any of these additional components may be located on the same integrated circuit die as the processor units or on one or more separate integrated circuit dies away from the integrated circuit die containing the processor units. In some embodiments, these separate integrated circuit dies may be referred to as “chiplets.” In some embodiments where there is heterogeneity or asymmetry between processor units in a computing system, the heterogeneity or asymmetry may be between processor units located within the same integrated circuit component. In embodiments in which the integrated circuit component includes multiple integrated circuit dies, interconnections between the dies can be provided by a package substrate, one or more silicon interposers, one or more silicon bridges embedded in the package substrate (e.g., Intel® Embedded Multi-Die Interconnection Bridges (EMIBs)), or a combination thereof.

[0038] Processor units 702 and 704 further comprise memory controller logic 720 and 722. As shown in Figure 7, MC720 and 722 control memories 716 and 718 coupled to processor units 702 and 704, respectively. Memories 716 and 718 may include various types of volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM)) and / or non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory, chalcogenide-based phase-change non-volatile memory), and may comprise one or more layers of the computing system's memory hierarchy. Although MC720 and 722 are shown integrated with processor units 702 and 704, in alternative embodiments, the MC may be located outside the processor units.

[0039] Processor units 702 and 704 are coupled to the input / output (I / O) subsystem 730 via point-to-point interconnects 732 and 734. Point-to-point interconnect 732 connects the point-to-point interface 736 of processor unit 702 to the point-to-point interface 738 of the I / O subsystem 730, and point-to-point interconnect 734 connects the point-to-point interface 740 of processor unit 704 to the point-to-point interface 742 of the I / O subsystem 730. The input / output subsystem 730 further includes an interface 750 that couples the I / O subsystem 730 to the graphics engine 752. The I / O subsystem 730 and the graphics engine 752 are coupled via bus 754.

[0040] The input / output subsystem 730 is further coupled to the first bus 760 via interface 762. The first bus 760 can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) bus or any other type of bus. Various input / output devices 764 can be coupled to the first bus 760. A bus bridge 770 can couple the first bus 760 to the second bus 780. In some embodiments, the second bus 780 may be a low-pin count (LPC) bus. Various devices, such as a keyboard / mouse 782, an audio I / O device 788, and a storage device 790 including a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, or another storage device for storing computer executable instructions 792 or data, can be connected to the second bus 780. Code 792 may include computer executable instructions for performing the methods described herein. An additional component that can be coupled to a second bus 780 includes a communications device 784 that can provide communication between the computing system 700 and one or more wired or wireless networks 786 (e.g., Wi-Fi, cellular, or satellite networks) via one or more wired or wireless links (e.g., wired, cable, Ethernet connection, radio frequency channel, infrared channel, Wi-Fi channel) using one or more communications standards (e.g., IEEE 702.11 standard and its supplements).

[0041] In embodiments where the communication device 784 supports wireless communication, the communication device 784 may include a wireless communication component coupled to one or more antennas to support communication between the computing system 700 and external devices. The wireless communication component can support various wireless communication protocols and technologies such as Near Field Communication (NFC), IEEE 1002.11 (Wi-Fi) Revised, WiMAX, Bluetooth, Zigbee, 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE), Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) and Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM), and 5G broadband mobile phone technology. In addition, the wireless modem can support communication with one or more cellular networks for data and voice communication within a single cellular network, between cellular networks, or between the computing system and a public switched telephone network.

[0042] System 700 may include removable memory such as flash memory cards (e.g., SD (Secure Digital) cards), memory sticks, and subscriber identification module (SIM) cards. Memory within System 700 (including caches 712 and 714, memories 716 and 718, and storage device 790) may store data and / or computer executable instructions for running the operating system 794 and application programs 796. Illustrative data may include web pages, text messages, images, audio files, and video data transmitted and / or received by System 700 or to one or more network servers or other devices via one or more wired or wireless networks 786 for use by System 700. System 700 may also have access to external memory or storage (not shown), such as an external hard drive or cloud-based storage.

[0043] The operating system 794 controls the assignment and use of the components shown in Figure 7 and can support one or more application programs 796. The application programs 796 may include common computing system applications (e.g., email applications, calendars, contact managers, web browsers, messaging applications) and other computing applications.

[0044] The computing system 700 can support a variety of additional input devices, such as a touchscreen, microphone, monoscopic camera, stereoscopic camera, trackball, touchpad, proximity sensor, light sensor, electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor, galvanic skin response sensor, and one or more output devices such as one or more speakers or displays. Other possible input / output devices include piezoelectric devices and other tactile I / O devices. Either input or output devices can be mounted internally, externally, or detachably within the system 700. External input / output devices can communicate with the system 700 via wired or wireless connections.

[0045] Furthermore, the computing system 700 can provide one or more neural user interfaces (NUIs). For example, the operating system 794 or application 796 may include speech recognition logic as part of a voice user interface that allows the user to operate the system 700 via voice commands. In addition, the computing system 700 may include input devices and logic that allow the user to interact with the computing of the system 700 via body, hand, or facial gestures.

[0046] System 700 may further include at least one input / output port, including a physical connector (e.g., USB, IEEE 1394 (FireWire), Ethernet, RS-232), a power supply (e.g., a battery), a global satellite navigation system (GNSS) receiver (e.g., a GPS receiver), a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and / or a compass. The GNSS receiver may be coupled to a GNSS antenna. The computing system 700 may further include one or more additional antennas coupled to one or more additional receivers, transmitters, and / or transceivers to enable additional functionality.

[0047] It should be understood that Figure 7 shows only one example of a computing system architecture. The techniques described herein can be implemented using computing systems based on alternative architectures. For example, instead of processors 702, 704 and graphics engine 752 being located on separate integrated circuits, the computing system may include a multi-processor SoC (system-on-chip) integrated circuit, a graphics engine, and additional components. Furthermore, the computing system may connect its components via buses or point-to-point configurations different from those shown in Figure 7. Moreover, the components shown in Figure 7 are not essential or all-inclusive, as illustrated components can be removed and other components added in other embodiments.

[0048] As used herein, the term “module” refers to a hardware component or device, software or firmware, or a combination thereof, that operates on a processor unit and performs one or more operations consistent with this disclosure, and which can be implemented in this disclosure. Software and firmware can be embodied as instructions and / or data stored in a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium. As used herein, the term “circuit” can include, alone or in any combination, a programmable (hardwired) circuit, a programmable circuit such as a processor unit, a state machine circuit, and / or firmware that stores instructions executable by a programmable circuit. The modules described herein can be embodied as circuits that form part of a computer system, collectively or individually. Thus, any module can be implemented as a circuit. A computing system said to be programmed to perform a method can be programmed to perform a method via software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0049] As used in this application and claims, a list of items joined by the term "and / or" can mean any combination of the enumerated items. For example, the phrase "A, B and / or C" could mean A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A, B and C. As used in this application and claims, a list of items joined by the term "at least one of" can mean any combination of the enumerated terms. For example, the phrase "at least one of A, B, or C" could mean A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A, B and C. Furthermore, as used in this application and claims, a list of items joined by the term "one or more of" can mean any combination of the enumerated terms. For example, the phrase "one or more of A, B, and C" could mean A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A, B and C.

[0050] The disclosed methods, apparatus, and systems should not be construed as limiting in any sense. Rather, this disclosure relates to all novel and non-obvious features and aspects of the various disclosed embodiments, both individually and in various combinations and subcombinations with each other. The disclosed methods, apparatus, and systems are not limited to any particular aspect, feature, or combination thereof, and the disclosed embodiments do not require that any one or more particular advantages exist or problems are solved.

[0051] The theories of operation, scientific principles, or other theoretical descriptions presented herein relating to the apparatus or methods of this disclosure are provided for better understanding and are not intended to limit the scope. The apparatus and methods described in the appended claims are not limited to those that operate in the manner described by such theories of operation.

[0052] Some operations of the disclosed method are described in a particular order for the sake of convenient presentation, but needless to say, unless a particular order is required by the specific language used herein, this method of description is reconfigurable. For example, operations described sequentially may, in some cases, be rearranged or performed simultaneously. Furthermore, for the sake of simplification, the accompanying drawings shall not show various ways in which the disclosed method can be used in combination with other methods.

[0053] The following examples relate to further embodiments of the technology disclosed herein.

[0054] Example 1 is an apparatus, An integrated circuit component including one or more integrated circuits, A power interposer physically coupled to the aforementioned integrated circuit component, One or more voltage regulator module connection sections are arranged on the first surface of the power interposer, The power interposer has a plurality of socket connection portions arranged on a second surface, and the first surface and the second surface are facing in opposite directions. It has a power interposer.

[0055] Example 2 includes the apparatus described in Example 1, wherein the integrated circuit component has a plurality of input / output signal connection sections, and the power interposer electrically connects the I / O signal connection sections to the socket connection sections.

[0056] Embodiment 3 includes the apparatus described in Embodiment 2, wherein the power interposer has a plurality of through-holes, and the power interposer electrically connects the I / O signal connection portion to the socket connection portion via the through-holes.

[0057] Example 4 includes the apparatus described in any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the integrated circuit component has a plurality of power signal connection parts, and the power interposer electrically connects the voltage regulator module connection part to the power signal connection parts.

[0058] Example 5 is a system, An integrated circuit component having one or more integrated circuits, A voltage regulator module that generates one or more regulated power signals based on one or more input power signals, A power interposer physically coupled to the integrated circuit component and the voltage regulator module, wherein the power interposer electrically connects regulated power signals to the integrated circuit component, the voltage regulator module is physically coupled to the power interposer on a first surface of the power interposer, the power interposer has a plurality of socket connections arranged on a second surface of the power interposer, and the first surface and the second surface of the power interposer face in opposite directions, and It has.

[0059] Example 6 includes the system described in Example 5, wherein the integrated circuit component has a plurality of input / output signal connection sections, and the power interposer electrically connects the input / output signal connection sections to the socket connection section.

[0060] Example 7 includes the system described in Example 6. The power interposer has a plurality of through-holes, and the power interposer electrically connects the input / output signal connection section to the socket connection section via the through-holes.

[0061] Example 8 includes the system described in any one of Examples 5 to 7. The integrated circuit component has a plurality of power signal connection sections, and the power interposer electrically connects the voltage regulator module to the power signal connection sections.

[0062] Example 9 includes the system described in any one of Examples 5 to 8, and further comprises a power connector that is physically coupled to the voltage regulator module and the system board and delivers one or more input power signals from the system board to the voltage regulator module.

[0063] Example 10 includes the system described in Example 9. The power connector has one or more pins.

[0064] Example 11 includes the system described in Example 9. The power connector has a cable connector.

[0065] Example 12 includes the system described in any one of Examples 5 to 11, wherein the voltage regulator module has a printed circuit board substantially parallel to the power interposer.

[0066] Example 13 includes the system described in any one of Examples 5 to 12, wherein the voltage regulator module is physically coupled to the power interposer via an interconnection socket.

[0067] Example 14 includes the system described in Example 13. The aforementioned interconnection socket is a double compression socket.

[0068] Example 15 includes the system described in any one of Examples 5 to 14. A system board having multiple system board connection points, A socket physically connected to the system board, wherein the system board connection portion is electrically connected to the socket connection portion, and the power interposer is physically connected to the system board. It further possesses.

[0069] Example 16 includes the system described in Example 15. The integrated circuit component has a plurality of power signal connection sections and a plurality of input / output signal connection sections, the socket and the power interposer electrically connect the system board connection section to the input / output signal connection section, and the power interposer electrically connects the power signal connection section to the voltage regulator module.

[0070] Example 17 includes the system described in Example 15 or 16. The system further comprises a plurality of memory modules that are physically coupled to the system board and electrically connected to the integrated circuit component via the system board, the socket, and the power interposer.

[0071] Example 18 includes the system described in any one of Examples 15 to 17. One of the system board connection points is an input power signal, and the socket and the power interposer electrically connect the input power signal to the voltage regulator module.

[0072] Example 19 includes the system described in any one of Examples 15 to 18. The power interposer further comprises one or more additional voltage regulator modules physically coupled to it, which supply additional regulating power signals to the integrated circuit components.

[0073] Example 20 is a system, An integrated circuit component, One or more integrated circuits, Multiple power signal connection points, An integrated circuit component having multiple input / output signal connection sections, A voltage regulator module for generating one or more regulated power signals from one or more input signals, System board and The system includes signal delivery means that electrically connects the adjusted power signal to the power signal connection section and electrically connects the input / output signal connection section to the system board.

[0074] Example 21 includes the system described in Example 20. The signal delivery means further comprises one or more additional voltage regulator modules that generate one or more additional regulated power signals, and the signal delivery means further electrically connects the one or more additional regulated power signals to the integrated circuit component.

[0075] Example 22 includes the system described in Example 20 or 21. The system further includes a power connector that is physically coupled to the voltage regulator module and the system board, and delivers the one or more input power signals from the system board to the voltage regulator module.

[0076] Example 23 is a method, One or more input power signals are supplied from the system board to the voltage regulator module via one or more power connectors, The voltage regulator module generates one or more regulated power signals based on one or more input power signals, This includes supplying one or more regulated power signals to integrated circuit components via a power interposer.

[0077] Example 24 includes the method described in Example 23, The system further includes supplying a plurality of input / output signals from the system board to the integrated circuit components via the socket and the power interposer.

[0078] Example 25 includes an apparatus comprising one or more means for carrying out the method described in Example 23 or 24.

Claims

1. It is a system, An integrated circuit component having one or more integrated circuits, A voltage regulator module that generates one or more regulated power signals based on one or more input power signals, A power interposer physically coupled to the integrated circuit component and the voltage regulator module, wherein the power interposer electrically connects the regulated power signal to the integrated circuit component, the voltage regulator module is physically coupled to the power interposer on a first surface of the power interposer, and the power interposer has a plurality of socket connections arranged on a second surface of the power interposer, the first surface of the power interposer and the second surface of the power interposer face in opposite directions, A power connector that is physically coupled to the voltage regulator module and the system board and delivers the one or more input power signals from the system board to the voltage regulator module without going through the power interposer, A system that has

2. The integrated circuit component has a plurality of input / output signal connection sections, and the power interposer electrically connects the input / output signal connection sections to the socket connection section. The system according to claim 1.

3. The power interposer has a plurality of through holes, and the power interposer electrically connects the input / output signal connection section to the socket connection section via the through holes. The system according to claim 2.

4. The integrated circuit component has a plurality of power signal connection sections, and the power interposer electrically connects the voltage regulator module to the power signal connection sections. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the power connector has one or more pins.

6. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the power connector has a press-fit connector configured to connect to a press-fit pin mounted on the system board.

7. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the power connector has a cable connector.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the voltage regulator module has a printed circuit board substantially parallel to the power interposer.

9. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the voltage regulator module is physically coupled to the power interposer via an interconnection socket.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the interconnection socket is a double compression socket.

11. The system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the voltage regulator module is detachably mounted to the system board and the power interposer via the power connector and the interconnection socket, respectively.

12. The system board having multiple system board connection sections, A socket physically connected to the system board, wherein the system board connection portion is electrically connected to the socket connection portion, and the power interposer is physically connected to the system board. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising the above.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the integrated circuit component has a plurality of power signal connection sections and a plurality of input / output signal connection sections, the socket and the power interposer electrically connect the system board connection section to the input / output signal connection section, and the power interposer electrically connects the power signal connection section to the voltage regulator module.

14. The system according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising a plurality of memory modules that are physically coupled to the system board and electrically connected to the integrated circuit component via the system board, the socket, and the power interposer.

15. The power interposer further comprises one or more additional voltage regulator modules physically coupled to it, which supply additional regulating power signals to the integrated circuit components. The system according to any one of claims 12 to 14.

16. It is a system, An integrated circuit component, One or more integrated circuits, Multiple power signal connection points, An integrated circuit component having multiple input / output signal connection sections, A voltage regulator module for generating one or more regulated power signals from one or more input power signals, System board and A power interposer physically coupled to the integrated circuit component and the voltage regulator module, wherein the power interposer electrically connects the regulated power signal to the power signal connection section and electrically connects the input / output signal connection section to the system board, A power connector that is physically coupled to the voltage regulator module and the system board and delivers the one or more input power signals from the system board to the voltage regulator module without going through the power interposer, A system that has

17. The system according to claim 16, further comprising one or more additional voltage regulator modules that generate one or more additional regulated power signals, wherein the power interposer further electrically connects the one or more additional regulated power signals to the integrated circuit components.

18. A system board to supply one or more input power signals to a voltage regulator module physically coupled to a power interposer via one or more power connectors without going through the power interposer, The voltage regulator module generates one or more regulated power signals based on one or more input power signals, The power interposer is used to supply one or more regulated power signals to the integrated circuit components, A method that includes this.

19. The system board further includes supplying a plurality of input / output signals to the integrated circuit components via the socket and the power interposer, The method according to claim 18.

20. An apparatus comprising one or more means for carrying out the method described in claim 18 or 19.

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