ELECTRONIC MODULE POWER SUPPLY

• US 20120081859A1
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Christo, Michael A., Maldonado, Julio A., Weekly, Roger D., Zhou, Tingdong
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/736
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0263 High current adaptations, e.g. printed high current conductors or using auxiliary non-printed means; Fine and coarse circuit patterns on one circuit board H05K1/0293 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0296 Conductive pattern lay-out details not covered by sub groups H05K1/02 - H05K1/0295 H05K1/11 takes precedence; lay-out adapted to mounted component configuration H05K1/18
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/112 directly combined with via connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/115 Via connections; Lands around holes or via connections H05K1/112 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0355 Metal foils
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1028 Thin metal strips as connectors or conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/3436 having an array of bottom contacts, e.g. pad grid array or ball grid array components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base

Abstract

Power may be supplied to an electronic module according to various techniques. In one general implementation, for example, a system for supping power to an electronic module may include a printed circuit board, the electronic module, and a conductive foil. The board may include a number of contact locations on a first side, with at least one of the contact locations electrically coupled to a via to a second side of the board. The electronic module may be electrically coupled to the contact locations on the first side of the board and receive electrical power through the at least one contact location electrically coupled to a via. The foil may be adapted to convey electrical power for the electronic module and electrically coupled on the second side of circuit board to at least the via electrically coupled to a contact location that receives electrical power for the electronic module.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a printed circuit board comprising a plurality of contact locations on a first side, at least one of the contact locations electrically coupled to a via to a second side of the printed circuit board;

an electronic module located on the first side of the printed circuit board and electrically coupled to the contact locations, the electronic module receiving electrical power through the at least one contact location electrically coupled to a via to the second side of the printed circuit board; and

a conductive foil located on the second side of the circuit board and electrically coupled to at least the via that is electrically coupled to a contact location that receives electrical power for the electronic module, the conductive foil adapted to convey electrical power for the electronic module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the conductive foil comprises apertures that correspond to printed circuit board vias that do not convey electrical power to the electronic module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is adapted to serve as a return path for the electrical power supplied through the conductive foil.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a deformable insulator located on the side of the conductive foil opposite the printed circuit board;

a conformal fill material located on the side of the insulator opposite the conductive foil; and

a structural support member located on the side of the fill material opposite the insulator, the structural support member adapted to compress the conductive foil, the insulator, and the fill material between the structural support member and the printed circuit board.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the fill material deforms according to irregularities in the second side of the printed circuit board when compressed by the support member.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the conductive foil comprises dendrites at the location where the conductive foil electrically couples to the via.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a voltage regulator coupled to the conductive foil, the voltage regulator adapted to convert electrical power from the printed circuit board to electrical power for the electronic module and convey the electrical power through the conductive foil.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the voltage regulator is adapted to convey a portion of the electrical power to the electronic module through the printed circuit board.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the voltage regulator is adapted to convey the electrical power through the printed circuit board by using a power plane of the printed circuit board; and

the power path through the conductive foil has a first inductance and the power path through the printed circuit board has a second inductance that is much lower than the first inductance.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the printed circuit board includes a frequency decoupler to decouple frequencies between the electrical power through the conductive foil and the electrical power through the power plane.

11. A system comprising:

a conductive foil having a first side and a second side and comprising;

electrical coupling locations on the first side that correspond to a first set of printed circuit board vias; and

passageways from the first side to the second side that correspond to a second set of printed circuit boards vias;

wherein the conductive foil is adapted to convey electrical power for an electronic module.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a deformable insulator located on the second side of the conductive foil; and

a conformal fill material located on the side of the insulator opposite the conductive foil, the fill material adapted to deform according to irregularities in a printed circuit board surface when compressed.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the conductive foil comprises dendrites at the electrical coupling locations.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a voltage regulator coupled to the conductive foil, the voltage regulator adapted to convert electrical power from a printed circuit board to electrical power for an electronic module and convey the electrical power through the conductive foil.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the voltage regulator is further adapted to convey electrical power for an electronic module through the conductive foil and a printed circuit board.

16. A method comprising:

positioning a first side of conductive foil next to a printed circuit board such that an electrical coupling is made with vias that are electrically coupled to printed circuit board contact locations on the opposite side of the printed circuit board; and

positioning a first side of an insulator next to a second side of conductive foil.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein positioning the first side of the conductive foil next to the printed circuit board comprises positioning the first side of the conductive foil such that electrical coupling is not made with vias not electrically coupled to power conveying contact locations on the opposite side of the printed circuit board.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising

positioning a first side of conformal fill material next to a second side of the insulator;

and

positioning a structural support member next to a second side of the fill material.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising coupling the structural support member to the printed circuit board.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the coupling compresses the conductive foil, the insulator, and the fill material between the structural member and the printed circuit board such that the fill material deforms according to irregularities in the printed circuit board surface.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising coupling the conductive foil to a voltage regulator adapted to convert electrical power from a printed circuit board to electrical power for an electronic module and convey the electrical power through the conductive foil.

22. A system comprising:

a printed circuit board comprising;

a grid array on a first side,

electrical vias from a plurality of grid array pads to a second side of the printed circuit board,

a power plane adapted to convey electrical power through the printed circuit board, and

a ground plane adapted to serve as a return path for conveyed power;

an electronic module located on the first side of the printed circuit board and electrically coupled to the grid array, the electronic module receiving electrical power through at least some of the grid pads coupled to the vias;

a conductive foil located on the second side of the circuit board and adapted to convey electrical power for the electronic module, the conductive foil comprising dendrites at locations where the conductive foil electrically couples to the vias coupled to grid pads that receive electrical power for the electronic module and apertures that correspond to printed circuit board vias that do not convey electrical power for the electronic module;

a voltage regulator coupled to the conductive foil, the voltage regulator adapted to convert electrical power from the printed circuit board to electrical power for the electronic module and convey a portion of the electrical power through the conductive foil and a portion of the electrical power through the power plane of the printed circuit board;

a thin deformable insulator located on the second side of the foil;

a thin conformal fill material located on the side of the insulator opposite the conductive foil; and

a structural support member located on the side of the fill material opposite the insulator, the support member adapted to compress the conductive foil, the insulator, and the fill material between the support member and the printed circuit board such that the fill material deforms the conductive foil according to irregularities in the second side of the printed circuit board.