Title of Invention

"AN APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A SHUNT POWER CONNECTION FOR AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT PACKAGE".

Abstract

An apparatus includes a socket and a housing. The socket and the housing can define an interior region for receiving an integrated circuit package. The housing includes a conductive member with a first portion exposed adjacent a bottom surface of the housing and a second portion at a side surface adjacent the interior region. The first portion can be electrically in contact with a printed circuit board. The second portion can be electrically in contact with a conductive member at a side surface of the integrated circuit package.

Full Text

THE INVENTION RELATES TO AN APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A SHUNT POWER CONNECTION FOR AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT PACKAGE A socket electrically connects pins of a package to a printed circuit board . A package can contain various circuit elements as well as conductive paths such as vias for carrying input/output(I/O) signals or power for integrated circuit s on a die connected to the package. Depending on a particular die's power requirements, additional vias may be required to deliver large amounts of current through a pa'ckage to a die. This can result in high operating temperatures within a package. Industry trends of reducing device sizes and increasing Package densities also can result in high current densities and, consequentially, high operating temperatures inside packages. High integrated circuit power requirements may require that a large amount of available pin/socket combinations be dedicated to deliver power. Therefore, fewer pin/socket combinations may be available for I/O signal delivery. The present invention relates to an apparatus for providing a shunt power connection for an integrated circuit package comprising: a socket; a housing disposed about the socket, the apparatus characterized in that the socket and the housing effectively defines an interior region for receiving an integrated circuit package, the housing comprising a conductive member with a first portion exposed adjacent a bottom surface of the housing and a second portion comprising flexible members that extend into the interior region wherein the flexible members are positioned at different heights from the bottom surface. The invention also relates to an assembly for providing a shunt power connection for an integrated circuit package comprising : an integrated circuit package including a conductive element exposed at a side surface of the package; a housing disposed about the socket, the assembly characterised in that the socket and the housing define an interior region in which the integrated circuit package is located, the housing comprising a conductive member with a first portion exposed adjacent a bottom surface of the housing and a second portion at a surface adjacent the interior region, the second portion comprising flexible members electrically in contact with the conductive element of the package, wherein the flexible members are positioned at different heights from the bottom surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS FIGS 1A and 1B are sectional views of a package assembly with shunt power connections. FIG 2 is a perspective view of a shunt power connection. FIGS 3A and 3B are plan and cross -sectional views, respectively, of a package assembly with shunt power connections FIGS 4A and 4B are plan and cross sectional views, respectively of a package assembly with shunt power connections. FIGS 5A and 5B are plan and cross-sectional views, respectively of a package assembly with shunt power connections. FIGS 6A and 6B are plan and cross-sectional views, respectively, of a package assembly with shunt power connections . FIG 7 is a side view of shunt power connection. DETAILED DESCRIPTION A package assembly 10 and a socket assembly 12 can be connected to each other as illustrated in FIGS 1A and 1B.When the assemblies are connected to each other, shunt power connections 14 a, 14 b can deliver power to the package. assembly 10 through contacts1 16a, 16b located on the side surfaces of a package 18. Each shunt'power connection 14a., 14b includes a dielectric housing 20 and a conductive member 22. The dielectric housing 20 may be formed using a polymer material that may' Be thermoplastic or thermosetting . Examples of, housing materials include polyamides, FR-4 epoxy, polybutylene terepthalate (PBT), polyethylene terepthalate (PET), polycyclohexylenedimethylen'e terepthalate (PCT), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), cyanate ester, and liquid crystal polymers. A first portion of the conductive member 22 is exposed at the bottom'surface of the housing 20 and is connected through socket bumps 26 to a printed circuit board 28. A second portion,of the conductive member 22 includes conductive fingers 30 that extend through openings in a side surface of the housing 20. The fingers 30 may be flexible and are positioned to mate with the contacts 16a, 16b on the package 18. The fingers 30 also may apply a holding force to the package 18. A third portion of the conductive member 22 is embedded within the housing 20. Each shunt power connection 14a, 14b is positioned next to a traditional pin grid array (PGA) socket 32 so that when pins 34 of the package 18 mate with the PGA socket 32, the fingers 30 become electrically coupled to the contacts 16a, 16b. .When assembled, current can flow, .for example, from the power' supply 24, through a conductive path in the printed circuit board 28 and through socket bumps 26. The shunt' power 'connection 14a carries current to a contact 16a located on a side of the package' 18. Current flows through a power plane 35 positioned horizontally inside the package1 18, through a via 36, through a die bump 38 and into the die 40. Current can return to a system ground point at the power source 24 by flowing, for example, from the die 40 through a die bump 38 and into the package 18. The current flows through a via 42 in the package 18, through.a ground plane 44 positioned horizontally inside the package 18, and through a contact 16b. The .shunt power connection 14b carries current from the contact 16b to a socket bump 26. Current then flows into the printed circuit board 28 and returns to a system ground point at the power supply 24. Each conductive pin 34 that extends from the bottom surface of the package 18 can carry I/O data signals, other signals or power. Power supplied by the shunt power connections 14a, 14b can supplement the power carried by the pins 34. Decoupling capacitors 56 are hounted to the package! 18 and can provide supplemental current to the die 40 under heavy loading conditions . Such supplemental current may be required if current supplied by the power'supply 2,4 becomes limited by the. impedance, of the conductive .path between the power supply "and the die 40. The impedance of the conductive path can affect the' required size of the decoupling capacitors 56. The shunt power connection illustrated in FIG. 2 includes two sections that are substantially perpendicular to each other: Each section includes a set of three contacts 30 that span almost entirely .across the width of each section: Each set of contacts 30 is configured to mate with a corresponding conductive contact exposed at a side surface of a package. A variety of shunt power connection arrangements are possible. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, each shunt power connection 14a, 14b can be configured to provide a conductive path between a printed circuit board 28 and contacts 16a, 16b that span opposite sides of a package 18. Shunt power connection 14a is electrically coupled to a positive terminal 52 of a power supply 24 and shunt power connection 14b is electrically coupled to a system ground point 54. connection 14a, 14b provides a conductive path between a printed circuit board 28 and a contact 16a, 16b on the sides Of package 18. Shunt power connection 14a is electrically coupled to a positiv terminal 52 of a. power .source 24, and shunt power connection 14b is electrically coupled to a system ground point 54, As shown in FIG. 7, an alternative implementation of a shunt power connection 14 includes- a conductive member 22 attached to a dielectric housing 20 In contrast to FIGS. 1A and IB, the conductive member 22 is hot embedded within • the dielectric housing 20. Integrated circuits incorporating the foregoing techniques may realize one or .more of the following advantages. The current-carrying capability of a socket/package arrangement may be increased without ' ' excessively increasing a package's internal operating, temperature. Accordingly, an integrated circuit may be able to operate at higher power levels and quicker speeds without increasing its size. Fewer pin/socket combinations may be required to deliver power to a die and, therefore, more pin/socket combinations may be available for carrying I/O data signals and other signals. Fewer vias dedicated to power delivery may be required to pass through a package. That can increase the space available inside a package for embedding circuit elements such as capacitors and more vias dedicated to carrying signals. Using shunt power connections, having1 high current carrying capacities can reduce the impedance of conductive paths between, a power supply and a decoupling capacitor. That may allow the use of smaller decoupling capacitors on a package and 'result in a savings in package manufacturing' costs. Shunt power connections can be used with industry standard, easily available components. Various modifications may be made. The shunt power connections can be adapted for use with .ball grid array (EGA) type sockets, land grid array (LGA) type sockets, and other types .of. socket connections. The configuration and shape of the fingers may differ. For example, there may be fewer or more fingers than shown, the fingers may be longer or shorter than shown, or wider or narrower than shown. Spacing between fingers can vary and may or may not be uniform. Fingers may be configured to mate with a contacts exposed at either one or more sides of a package. Additionally, shunt socket connections may be adapted to carry different voltages, including voltages suitable for use with complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology or gate turnoff logic (GTL) technology. A shunt power connection can be manufactured integrally with a socket Other implementations are within the1 scope of the following clams, What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for providing a shunt power connection for an integrated circuit package, comprising : a socket; a housing disposed about the socket, the apparatus characterized in that the socket and the housing effectively defines an interior region for receiving an integrated circuit package, the housing comprising a conductive member with a first portion exposed adjacent a bottom surface of the housing and a second portion comprising flexible members that extend into the interior region wherein the flexible members are positioned at different heights from the bottom surface. 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a dielectric material. 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein part of the conductive member is partially surrounded by the dielectric material. 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second portion of the conductive member comprises a flexible member, the housing comprises a dielectric material and part of the conductive member is partially surrounded by the dielectric material. 5 . An assembly having an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 for providing a shunt power connection for an integrated circuit package, the assembly comprising : an integrated circuit package including a conductive element exposed at a side surface of the package; a socket ; and a housing disposed about the socket, the assembly characterised in that the socket and the housing define an interior region in which the integrated circuit package is located, the housing comprising a conductive member with a first portion exposed adjacent a bottom surface of the housing and a second portion at a surface adjacent the interior region, the second portion comprising flexible members electrically in contact with the conductive element of the package, wherein the flexible members are positioned at different heights from the bottom surface. 6. An assembly in claim 5, comprising a printed circuit board, wherein the first portion of the conductive member is electrically in contact with a printed circuit board . 7. An assembly as claimed in claim 5, comprising a power source, wherein the first portion of the conductive member is electrically coupled to the power source. 8 . An assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second portion of the conductive member comprises discrete sections, the integrated circuit package comprises conductive contacts on side surfaces of the integrated circuit package, and each discrete section of the second portion is electrically in contact with a corresponding conductive contact on a side surface of the integrated circuit package. 9. An assembly as claimed in claim 5 , comprising a printed circuit board, wherein the first portion of the conductive member is electrically in contact with a printed circuit board , the second portion of the conductive member comprises a flexible member, the housing comprises a dielectric material , and part of the conductive member is partially surrounded by the dielectric material .

Documents:

1541-delnp-2003-abstract.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-assignment.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-claims.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-correspondence-others.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-correspondence-po.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-description (complete).pdf

1541-delnp-2003-drawings.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-form-1.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-form-19.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-form-2.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-form-3.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-form-5.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-gpa.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-pct-101.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-pct-210.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-pct-304.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-pct-401.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-pct-408.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-pct-409.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-pct-416.pdf

1541-delnp-2003-petition-137.pdf