Intel Corporation

Willy Agatstein

Amar A Ghori

Mostafa A Aghazadeh

James R Neal

Gregory Turturio

Chia-pin Chiu

A very large scale integrated (VLSI) chip designed to operate at 3.3 volts is modified to be compatible with prior systems having a 5 volt voltage supply. A central processing unit (CPU) is fabricated at a center position on an integrated circuit chip that has an operating voltage of 3.3 volts. The chip is soldered into a pin grid array (PGA) package and a heat sink is attached on the PGA package above the CPU. A 5 volt-to-3.3 volt voltage regulator having a 5 volt input and a 3.3 volt output is placed at an edge of the PGA package. The 3.3 volt output of the voltage regulator is connected to the 3.3 volt operating voltage input of the chip. The VCC 5 V on board pins are connected to the 5 volt input of the voltage regulator and the 3.3 volt output of the voltage regulator is connected to the VCC pins of the chip. VSS ground on board pins are connected in common to both the ground terminal of the voltage regulator and the VSS pads of the chip. High performance capacitors are used to improve the transient response of the on-package voltage regulator. Dual voltage operation of the voltage regulated package is achieved by making the output of the voltage regulator available at the pins of the pin grid array (PGA) package.

Apparatus for optimizing operating parameters of an integrated circuit

A very large scale integrated (VLSI) chip designed to operate at 3.3 volts is modified to be compatible with prior systems having a 5 volt voltage supply. A central processing unit (CPU) is fabricated at a center position on an integrated circuit chip that has an operating voltage of 3.3 volts. The chip is soldered into a pin grid array (PGA) package and a heat sink is attached on the PGA package above the CPU. A 5 volt- to- 3.3 volt voltage regulator having a 5 volt input and a 3.3 volt output is placed at an edge of the PGA package. The 3.3 volt output of the voltage regulator is connected to the 3.3 volt operating voltage input of the chip. The VCC 5V on board pins are connected to the 5 volt input of the voltage regulator and the 3.3 volt output of the voltage regulator is connected to the VCC pins of the chip. VSS ground on board pins are connected in common to both the ground terminal of the voltage regulator and the VSS pads of the chip, High performance capacitors are used to improve the transient response of the on-package voltage regulator. Dual voltage operation of the voltage regulated package is achieved by making the output of the voltage regulator available at the pins of the pin grid array (PGA) package.

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El Dorado Hills, CA, United States of America

Willy Agatstein