System and method for processor power delivery and thermal management

Abstract

A power interconnection system comprising a plurality of z-axis compliant connectors passing power and ground signals between a first circuit board to a second circuit board is disclosed. The interconnection system provides for an extremely low impedance through a broad range of frequencies and allows for large amounts of current to pass from one substrate to the next either statically or dynamically. The interconnection system may be located close to the die or may be further away depending upon the system requirements. The interconnection may also be used to take up mechanical tolerances between the two substrates while providing a low impedance interconnect.

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       2 . A method comprising: 
 plugging a DC-to-DC converter on top of a processor carrier in turn secured to a motherboard; and    providing substantially planar power and ground contacts on said converter and said processor carrier; and    engaging said contacts on said converter with said contacts on said carrier through a resilient interconnect having resilient electrical contacts.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  including clamping said converter onto said processor carrier.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2  including forming power and ground regions of the contacts of said processor carrier and said converter and interdigitating said power and ground regions.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2  including plugging said converter into said processor carrier.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 2  including providing compressible contacts in said interconnect and compressing said contacts between said converter and said carrier.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  including maintaining electrical continuity through said interconnect via said electrical contacts and aligning said contacts on said converter to said carrier by inserting at least one pin through said interconnect and said converter.  
   
   
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       15 . A method comprising: 
 attaching a processor carrier to a motherboard by moving said processor carrier onto said motherboard in a direction having a component transverse to the surface of said motherboard; and    securing a DC-to-DC converter to the processor carrier in a direction having a component transverse to the surface of said motherboard.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  further including aligning said processor carrier and said converter using at least two alignment pins.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15  including providing substantially planar power and ground contacts on each one of said processor carrier and said converter.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  including providing interdigitated power and ground contacts on each one of said processor carrier and said converter.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17  including arranging said substantially planar power and ground contacts substantially parallel to the surface of said motherboard.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17  including causing the power signal pins to pass through said substantially planar contacts.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 15  including securing said substrate to said processor carrier in substantially the same direction that said processor carrier was attached to the motherboard.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 15  including securely clamping said converter onto said processor carrier.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 15  including causing said converter to lap said processor carrier.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 15  including securing said processor carrier to said motherboard before securing said converter to said carrier.  
   
   
       25 . A method comprising: 
 plugging a DC-to-DC converter on top of a processor carrier in turn secured to a motherboard; and    providing substantially planar power and ground contacts on said converter and said processor carrier; and    engaging said contacts on said converter with said contacts on said carrier such that said contacts are substantially parallel to said motherboard.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25  including clamping said converter onto said processor carrier.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25  including forming power and ground regions of the contacts of said processor carrier and said converter and interdigitating said power and ground regions.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 25  including plugging said converter into said processor carrier.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28  including aligning said converter with said processor carrier using alignment pins on one of said processor carrier and converter.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 25  including securing said processor carrier to said motherboard in the same direction said converter is secured onto said processor carrier.  
   
   
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       39 . A method comprising: 
 attaching a processor carrier to a motherboard by moving said processor carrier onto said motherboard in a direction having a component transverse to the surface of said motherboard; and    securing a DC-to-DC converter to the processor carrier in a direction having a component transverse to the surface of said motherboard; and    resiliently clamping said converter and said carrier.    
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39  further including aligning said processor carrier and said converter using at least two alignment pins.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 39  including providing substantially planar power and ground contacts on each one of said processor carrier and said converter.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41  including arranging said substantially planar power and ground contacts substantially parallel to the surface of said motherboard.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 39  including sandwiching a resilient interconnect between said carrier and said converter, and causing electrical continuity to be maintained through said interconnect.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43  including forming conductive polymer contacts in said interconnect.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 39  wherein resiliently clamping said converter and said carrier includes clamping a housing having a compression spring formed therein onto said converter.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 44  including aligning contacts formed in said interconnect with contacts on said converter and said carrier.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 46  including compressing said contacts between said carrier and said converter.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 44  including aligning said interconnect to said carrier.  
   
   
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