Vertical Power Delivery for Emerging Packaging and Integration Platforms -- Power Conversion and Distribution

TL;DR

This paper explores vertical power delivery architectures for high-density systems, aiming to reduce horizontal interconnect losses by delivering power vertically at higher voltages, and evaluates various conversion schemes and device integrations for 1 kW systems.

Contribution

It proposes four novel vertical power delivery architectures and analyzes their efficiency, integrating advanced power devices and conversion schemes for high-power applications.

Findings

Vertical architectures reduce horizontal interconnect losses.

GaN devices improve efficiency in power conversion.

Multi-stage conversion schemes optimize power delivery at 1 kW.

Abstract

Efficient delivery of current from PCB to point-of-load (POL) is a primary concern in modern high-power high-density integrated systems. Traditionally, a 48 V power signal is converted to the low, POL voltage at the board and/or package level. As interconnect has become the dominant power loss component, minimizing voltage drop across the laterally routed portions of the board-to-die interconnect (referred to as horizontal interconnect) is a promising approach to enhance the efficiency of the power delivery system. Delivering lower current vertically, at a higher voltage should therefore be considered. High-power conversion near POL, however, results in higher switching and inductor losses, exhibiting an undesired power efficiency tradeoff. To address this problem, four vertical power delivery architectures are proposed in this paper, considering state-of-the-art power converter topologies, integration levels, and voltage conversion schemes. Embedding Silicon (Si) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) power devices and inductors on top of and/or within the interposer is investigated. Integrating GaN power devices on a dedicated power die is also discussed. Various multi-stage 48V-to-1V power conversion schemes are examined and state-of-the-art power conversion circuits are reviewed. Power delivery characteristics with these architectures are determined for a high power (1 kW) high-current density (2 A/mm$^2$) system.