# US 9,520,779 B2 · Three-D power converter in three distinct strata

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- Number: US 9,520,779 B2
- Document ID: US9520779B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/072,675
- Filed: 2016-03-17
- Published: 2016-09-01
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-02-12
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Paul S. Andry; Leland Chang; Evan G. Colgan; John U. Knickerbocker; Bucknell C. Webb; Robert Wisnieff
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520779B2

## CPC

- H02M 3/156: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
- G05F 3/02: Regulating voltage or current
- G06F 1/26: Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C)
- G06F 1/263: {Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC (G06F1/30 takes precedence)}
- G06F 1/266: {Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips}
- H02M 1/08: Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
- H05K 1/00: Printed circuits
- H10W 20/427: {Power or ground buses}
- H10W 44/00: Electrical arrangements for controlling or matching impedance
- H10W 44/501: {Inductive arrangements (H10W44/20 takes precedence)}
- H10W 44/601: {Capacitive arrangements (H10W44/20 takes precedence)}
- H10W 72/20: Bump connectors, e.g. solder bumps or copper pillars; Dummy bumps; Thermal bumps
- H10W 90/00: Package configurations
- H10W 72/0198: {batch processes}
- H10W 72/07252: {changes in structures or sizes}
- H10W 72/07254: {changes in dispositions}
- H10W 72/227: {Multiple bumps having different sizes}
- H10W 72/247: {Dispositions of multiple bumps}
- H10W 72/252: {comprising solid metals or solid metalloids, e.g. PbSn, Ag or Cu}
- H10W 90/26: the stacked chips being of the same size without any chips being laterally offset, e.g. chip stacks having a rectangular shape
- H10W 90/297: {characterised by the through-semiconductor vias [TSVs] in the stacked chips}
- H10W 90/722: {between stacked chips}
- H10W 90/724: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL}
- H10W 90/728: {between a chip and a stacked discrete passive device, e.g. resistors, capacitors or inductors}
- Y10T 29/49117: Conductor or circuit manufacturing
- H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P)
- G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A switching power supply in an integrated circuit, an integrated circuit comprising a switching power supply, and a method of assembling a switching power supply in an integrated circuit are disclosed. In one embodiment, the invention provides a three-dimensional switching power supply in an integrated circuit comprising a device layer. The switching power supply comprises three distinct strata arranged in series with the device layer, the three distinct strata including a switching layer including switching circuits, a capacitor layer including banks of capacitors, and an inductor layer including inductors. This switching power supply further comprises a multitude of connectors electrically and mechanically connecting together the device layer, the switching layer, the capacitor layer, and the inductor layer. The switching circuits, the capacitors and the inductors form a switching power supply for supplying power to the device layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A three-dimensional switching power supply in an integrated circuit stack comprising a device layer including a plurality of processor cores, the switching power supply comprising:
three distinct strata arranged in series with the device layer, the three distinct strata including
a switching layer including switching circuits,
a capacitor layer including banks of capacitors, and
an inductor layer including inductors; and
a multitude of connectors electrically and mechanically connecting together the device layer, the switching layer, the capacitor layer, and the inductor layer; and wherein:
the switching circuits, the capacitors and the inductors form a plurality of switching power supplies, each of the switching power supplies supplying power to a respective one of the processor cores.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional switching power supply according to claim 1, wherein each of the switching power supplies applies a respective one voltage level to one of the processor cores.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional switching power supply according to claim 1, wherein each of the switching power supplies includes a voltage regulator to regulate the voltage level applied to the respective one of the processor cores.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional switching power supply according to claim 1, wherein:
the processor cores are on a common processor chip; and
the switching power supplies generate the respective one voltage level on said processor chip.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The three-dimensional switching power supply according to claim 4, wherein the voltage regulators are integrated in the processor chip.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The three-dimensional switching power supply according to claim 5, wherein the voltage regulators provide local on-chip generation of different voltages.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The three-dimensional switching power supply according to claim 6, wherein the switching power supplies apply different voltages to different areas of the common processor chip.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional switching power supply according to claim 1, wherein each of the switching power supplies is controllable to apply a controllable voltage to each of the processor cores.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The three-dimensional switching power supply according to claim 8, wherein the switching power supplies are separately controllable.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The three dimensional switching power supply according to claim 1, wherein the switching power supplies operate different portions of the processor cores at different voltages.

### Claim 11

An integrated circuit comprising:
a device layer including a plurality of processor cores;
a switching power supply comprising three distinct strata arranged in series with the device layer, the three distinct strata including
a switching layer including switching circuits,
a capacitor layer including banks of capacitors, and
an inductor layer including inductors; and
a multitude of connectors electrically and mechanically connecting together the device layer, the switching layer, the capacitor layer, and the inductor layer; and wherein:
the switching circuits, the capacitors and the inductors form a plurality of switching power supplies, each of the switching power supplies supplying power to a respective one of the processor cores.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The integrated circuit according to claim 11, wherein:
each of the switching power supplies applies a respective one voltage level to one of the processor cores; and
each of the switching power supplies includes a voltage regulator to regulate the voltage level applied to the respective one of the processor cores.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The integrated circuit according to claim 12, wherein:
the processor cores are on a common processor chip:
the switching power supplies generate the respective one voltage level on said processor chip; and
the voltage regulators are integrated on the processor chip and provide local on-chip generation of different voltages.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The integrated circuit according to claim 13, wherein the switching power supplies apply different voltages to different areas of the common processor chip.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The integrated circuit according to claim 11, wherein each of the switching power supplies are separately controllable to apply a separately controllable voltage to each of the processor cores.

### Claim 16

A method of assembling a switching power supply in an integrated circuit, the switching power supply including three distinct strata including a switching layer including switching circuits, a capacitor layer including banks of capacitors, and an inductor layer including inductors, the integrated circuit including a device layer including a plurality of processor cores, the method comprising:
arranging the three distinct strata of the switching power supply in series with the device layer; and
electrically and mechanically connecting together the device layer, the switching layer, the capacitor layer, and the inductor layer to form a plurality of switching power supplies, each of the switching power supplies supplying power to a respective one of the processor cores.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method according to claim 16, wherein:
each of the switching power supplies applies a respective one voltage level to one of the processor cores; and
each of the switching power supplies includes a voltage regulator to regulate the voltage level applied to the respective one of the processor cores.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method according to claim 16, wherein
the processor cores are on a common processor chip:
the switching power supplies generate the respective one voltage level on said processor chip; and
the voltage regulators are integrated on the processor chip and provide local on-chip generation of different voltages.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method according to claim 16, wherein the switching power supplies apply different voltages to different areas of the common processor chip.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method according to claim 19, wherein the switching power supplies operate different portions of the processor cores at different voltages.