US-20260130296-A1 - POWER MODULE WITH VERTICAL POWER PATHS

US20260130296A1US 20260130296 A1US20260130296 A1US 20260130296A1US-20260130296-A1

Abstract

A power module has an inductor assembly and a device assembly beneath it. The inductor assembly has a magnetic core with a winding at least partially embedded. The winding has a first end and a second end exposed on a bottom surface of the inductor assembly, and the first end provides an output voltage. The device assembly has a die substrate, a first power die having a first switch, and a second power die having a second switch. The switches are electrically connected in series between an input voltage and ground reference. The second power die is embedded in the die substrate, having metal contacts on both its top side and bottom side. A first plurality of metal contacts of the first power die and the metal contacts on the top side of the second power die are electrically connected together and both to the second end of the winding.

Inventors

TING GE

Assignees

MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251229

Claims (19)

1 . A power module, comprising: an inductor assembly comprising a magnetic core and a first winding at least partially embedded in the magnetic core, wherein the first winding has a first end and a second end which are exposed on a bottom surface of the inductor assembly, and the first end of the first winding is capable of providing an output voltage; a device assembly attached to the bottom surface of the inductor assembly, comprising a die substrate, a first power die and a second power die each having a first plurality of metal contacts and a second plurality of metal contacts, wherein the first power die and the second power die respectively integrates a first switch and a second switch which are electrically connected in series; wherein the first plurality of metal contacts of the first power die and the first plurality of metal contacts of the second power die are electrically connected together and are further electrically connected to the second end of the first winding, wherein the first plurality of metal contacts of the second power die is disposed on a top side of the second power die, and the second power die is embedded in the die substrate; and wherein the first power die is capable of receiving an input voltage via its second plurality of metal contacts on its bottom side, and the second power die is capable of being electrically connected to a ground reference via its second plurality of metal contacts on its bottom side.
2 . The power module of claim 1 , wherein the first power die is embedded in the die substrate, and the first plurality of metal contacts of the first power die are disposed on a top side of the first power die.
3 . The power module of claim 1 , wherein the first power die is soldered on the die substrate, and the first plurality of metal contacts of the first power die are disposed on the bottom side of the first power die.
4 . The power module of claim 1 , further comprising: a first top heat layer in the device assembly, wherein the top heat layer is soldered on the die substrate and is disposed directly above the second power die; wherein the first plurality of metal contacts of the first power die and the first plurality of metal contacts of the second power die are electrically connected to the second end of the first winding via the top heat layer.
5 . The power module of claim 4 , further comprising: a second top heat layer in the device assembly, wherein the second top heat layer is disposed directly above the first power die; wherein the second top heat layer has a surface attached to the second end of the first ending.
6 . The power module of claim 1 , further comprising: a second winding embedded in the magnetic core, having a first end and a second end which are exposed on the bottom surface of the inductor assembly, and the first end of the second winding is capable of providing the output voltage by being electrically connected with the first end of the first winding; a third power die and a fourth power die each having a first plurality of metal contacts and a second plurality of metal contacts, wherein the third power die and the fourth power die respectively integrates a third switch and a fourth switch electrically connected in series; wherein the first plurality of metal contacts of the third power die and the first plurality of metal contacts of the fourth power die are electrically connected together and are further electrically connected to the second end of the second winding, wherein the first plurality of metal contacts of the fourth power die is disposed on a top side of the fourth power die, and the fourth power die is embedded in the die substrate; and wherein the third power die is capable of receiving the input voltage via its second plurality of metal contacts on its bottom side, and the fourth power die is capable of being electrically connected to the ground reference via its second plurality of metal contacts on its bottom side.
7 . A power module, comprising: an inductor assembly comprising a magnetic core and a winding at least partially embedded in the magnetic core, wherein the winding has a first end and a second end which are exposed on a bottom surface of the inductor assembly, and the first end of the winding is capable of providing an output voltage; a device assembly attached to the bottom surface of the inductor assembly, comprising a die substrate, a first power die having a first switch, and a second power die having a second switch, wherein the first switch and the second switch are electrically connected in series between an input voltage and a ground reference; wherein the second power die is embedded in the die substrate, having a first plurality of metal contacts on its top side and a second plurality of metal contacts on its bottom side; and wherein a first plurality of metal contacts of the first power die and the first plurality of metal contacts of the second power die are electrically connected together and are further electrically connected to the second end of the winding.
8 . The power module of claim 7 , wherein: at least one of the first power die and the second power die is further capable of generating a first driving signal and a second driving signal for respectively driving the first switch and the second switch.
9 . The power module of claim 7 , wherein: the first power die further comprises a second plurality of metal contacts, and the first plurality of metal contacts and the second plurality of metal contacts of the first power die are disposed on a bottom side of the first power die; wherein the first power die is capable of being electrically connected to the input voltage via its second plurality of metal contacts, and the second power die is capable of being electrically connected to the ground reference via its second plurality of metal contacts.
10 . The power module of claim 7 , wherein: the first power die further comprises a second plurality of metal contacts, and the first plurality of metal contacts and the second plurality of metal contacts of the first power die are disposed on a bottom side of the first power die; wherein the second power die is capable of being electrically connected to the input voltage via its second plurality of metal contacts, and the first power die is capable of being electrically connected to the ground reference via its second plurality of metal contacts.
11 . The power module of claim 7 , wherein: the first power die is embedded in the die substrate, further comprising a second plurality of metal contacts; wherein the first plurality of metal contacts of the first power die are disposed on a top side of the first power die, and the second plurality of metal contacts of the first power die are disposed on a bottom side of the first power die.
12 . The power module of claim 7 , further comprising: a top heat layer in the device assembly, wherein the top heat layer is disposed directly above at least one of the first power die and the second power die; wherein the first plurality of metal contacts of the first power die and the first plurality of metal contacts of the second power die are electrically connected to the second end of the winding via the top heat layer.
13 . A power module, comprising: an inductor assembly comprising a magnetic core, a first winding, and a second winding, wherein the first winding and the second winding are at least partially embedded in the magnetic core and each have a first end and a second end which are exposed on a bottom surface of the inductor assembly; a device assembly attached to the bottom surface of the inductor assembly, comprising a die substrate, a first power die having a first switch, a second power die having a second switch, a third power die having a third switch, and a fourth power die having a fourth switch, wherein the first switch and the second switch are electrically connected in series between an input voltage and a ground reference, and the third switch and the fourth switch are electrically connected in series between the input voltage and the ground reference; wherein the second power die and the fourth power die are embedded in the die substrate, and each of the second power die and the fourth power die has a first plurality of metal contacts on its top side and a second plurality of metal contacts on its bottom side; and wherein a first plurality of metal contacts of the first power die and the first plurality of metal contacts of the second power die are electrically connected together and are further electrically connected to the second end of the first winding, and a first plurality of metal contacts of the third power die and the first plurality of metal contacts of the fourth power die are electrically connected together and are further electrically connected to the second end of the second winding.
14 . The power module of claim 13 , further comprising: a first top heat layer and a second top heat layer in the device assembly, wherein the first top heat layer is disposed directly above at least one of the first power die and the second power die, and the second top heat layer is disposed directly above at least one of the third power die and the fourth power die; wherein the first plurality of metal contacts of the first power die and the first plurality of metal contacts of the second power die are electrically connected to the second end of the first winding via the first top heat layer, and the first plurality of metal contacts of the third power die and the first plurality of metal contacts of the fourth power die are electrically connected to the second end of the second winding via the second top heat layer.
15 . The power module of claim 13 , wherein: the first power die is soldered on the die substrate, further comprising a second plurality of metal contacts, and the first plurality of metal contacts and the second plurality of metal contacts of the first power die are disposed on a bottom side of the first power die; and the third power die is soldered on the die substrate, further comprising a second plurality of metal contacts, and the first plurality of metal contacts and the second plurality of metal contacts of the third power die are disposed on a bottom side of the third power die.
16 . The power module of claim 13 , wherein: the first power die is embedded in the die substrate, further comprising a second plurality of metal contacts, wherein the first plurality of metal contacts of the first power die are disposed on a top side of the first power die, and the second plurality of metal contacts of the first power die are disposed on a bottom side of the first power die; and the third power die is embedded in the die substrate, further comprising a second plurality of metal contacts, wherein the first plurality of metal contacts of the third power die are disposed on a top side of the third power die, and the second plurality of metal contacts of the third power die are disposed on a bottom side of the first power die.
17 . The power module of claim 13 , wherein: at least one of the first power die and the second power die is further capable of generating a first driving signal and a second driving signal for respectively driving the first switch and the second switch; and at least one of the third power die and the fourth power die is further capable of generating a third driving signal and a fourth driving signal for respectively driving the third switch and the fourth switch.
18 . The power module of claim 13 , wherein: each metal contact of the first plurality of metal contacts and the second plurality of metal contacts of the second power die is a copper layer with a thickness less than 10 um.
19 . The power module of claim 13 , further comprising: a capacitor layer disposed beneath the device assembly and attached to a bottom surface of the device assembly; wherein the first end of the first winding and the first end of the second winding are capable of being electrically connected together to provide an output voltage; and wherein the capacitor layer comprises a plurality of capacitors, wherein a first portion of the plurality of capacitors are electrically connected in parallel between the input voltage and the ground reference, and a second portion of the plurality of capacitors are electrically connected in parallel between the output voltage and the ground reference.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/661,267 filed on May 10, 2024, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/469,800, filed on Sept. 19, 2023. All of these related applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to electronic components, and more particularly but not exclusively to power modules. 2. Description of Related Art Power converter, as known in the art, converts an input power to an output power that delivers the voltage and current required by a load. Multi-phase power converters that incorporate a plurality of paralleled power stages operating out of phase exhibit several advantageous attributes: they produce lower output ripple voltage, have improved transient response, and reduce the ripple-current requirements imposed on input filtering capacitors. Because of these performance benefits, such converters are widely deployed in high-current, low-voltage applications including server, microprocessor, and other data-center infrastructure. The relentless evolution of modern Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), and Central Processing Units (CPUs), has driven a continuous increase in load current to achieve better processor performance. At the same time, the drive for greater integration density imposes strict size constraints on their power converters. Consequently, the combined demands for higher current, smaller form factor, and efficient thermal management present significant design challenges. Therefore, high-power density and high-efficiency power modules with excellent heat dissipation path are necessary for the processers. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a power module with vertical power paths. Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a power module comprising an inductor assembly and a device assembly attached to a bottom surface of the inductor assembly. The inductor assembly has a magnetic core and a first winding at least partially embedded in the magnetic core, wherein the first winding has a first end and a second end which are exposed on the bottom surface of the inductor assembly. The first end of the first winding is capable of providing an output voltage. The device assembly has a die substrate, a first power die, and a second power die. The first power die and the second power die each have a first plurality of metal contacts and a second plurality of metal contacts, and the first power die and the second power die respectively integrates a first switch and a second switch which are electrically connected in series. The first plurality of metal contacts of the first power die and the first plurality of metal contacts of the second power die are electrically connected together and are further electrically connected to the second end of the first winding, wherein the first plurality of metal contacts of the second power die is disposed on a top side of the second power die, and the second power die is embedded in the die substrate. The first power die is capable of receiving an input voltage via its second plurality of metal contacts on its bottom side, and the second power die is capable of being electrically connected to a ground reference via its second plurality of metal contacts on its bottom side. Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a power module, comprising an inductor assembly and a device assembly attached to a bottom surface of the inductor assembly. The inductor assembly has a magnetic core and a winding at least partially embedded in the magnetic core. The winding has a first end and a second end which are exposed on the bottom surface, and the first end is capable of delivering an output voltage. The device assembly has a die substrate, a first power die that incorporates a first switch, and a second power die that incorporates a second switch. The first and second switches are electrically connected in series between an input voltage and a ground reference. The second power die is embedded in the die substrate and possesses a first plurality of metal contacts on its top side and a second plurality of metal contacts on its bottom side. The first plurality of metal contacts on the first power die and the first plurality of metal contacts on the second power die are electrically connected together and also electrically connect to the second end of the winding. Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a power module, comprising an inductor assembly and a device assembly attached to a bottom surface of the inductor assembly. The inductor assembly has a magnetic core, a first winding, and a second winding. The first winding and the second winding are at least partially embedded in the magnetic core and each has a first end and a second end exposed on the bottom surface of t