Systems and methods for powering an integrated circuit having multiple interconnected die

Abstract

The power on wafer assembly can include: a compliant connector, an integrated circuit, a printed circuit board (PCB), a power component, and a set of compliant connectors. The power on wafer assembly can optionally include: a compression element, a cooling system, a set of mechanical clamping components, and a power source. However, the power on wafer assembly can additionally or alternately include any other suitable components.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An assembly comprising:
 a printed circuit board (PCB) defining a first surface of the PCB;   an integrated circuit having a first set of conductive pads arranged along a second surface of the integrated circuit opposing the first surface;   a power converter arranged between first surface and the second surface, the power converter electrically connected to each of the first set of conductive pads; and   a compliant connector extending between the first surface and the power converter.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit comprises a wafer-scale processor. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the wafer-scale processor comprises a plurality of die formed on a unitary wafer substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a cold plate arranged between the power converter and the PCB, the cold plate thermally connected to the power converter. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the cold plate is mechanically biased away from the PCB. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the power converter is compressed between the first surface and a power consuming region of the second surface. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 1 :
 wherein the power converter comprises a second set of conducting pads;   wherein the PCB comprises a third set of conducting pads, wherein each conducting pad of the third set is aligned with a different conducting pad of the second set, wherein the compliant connector electrically connects each conducting pad from the third set with the respective conducting pad from the second set.   
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the compliant connector comprises a plurality of conductive elements arranged within in a compliant membrane, wherein the compliant connector comprises a plurality of arcuate electrical pathways of varying radii, within the compliant membrane, extending between the PCB and the power converter. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the power converter comprises a voltage regulator. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 9 , further comprising a decoupling capacitor opposing the voltage regulator across a thickness of the PCB. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a power source opposing the power converter across a thickness of the PCB; and   an electrical connection extending through the thickness of the PCB that connects the power source to the compliant connector.   
     
     
         12 . The assembly of claim ii, wherein the electrical connection extends orthogonal to the first surface. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of clamping components mechanically coupling the PCB to the integrated circuit and preloading the compliant connector. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the power converter is directly affixed to the second surface of the integrated circuit. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit further comprises:
 a semiconductor substrate;   a plurality of die lithographically formed within the semiconductor substrate; and   a circuit layer formed at each of the plurality of die, the circuit layer comprising the first set of conductive pads and a plurality of inter-die connections that communicatively connect adjacent die of the plurality of die.   
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the power converter is directly connected to the circuitry layer of the integrated circuit at the first set of conductive pads. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first surface comprises a first broad face of the PCB, wherein the second surface comprises a second broad face of the integrated circuit. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second broad faces define colinear surface normal vectors. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the compliant connector comprises an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the compliant connector comprises a unitary body.