JP2013541841A - An electrochemically powered integrated circuit package. - Google Patents

Abstract

An integrated circuit package that is electrochemically powered is provided.
The present invention is particularly directed to an integrated circuit package (10c). The package has a layer structure including an IC and an electrode (17) disposed in electrical connection with a layer (16) of the layer structure. The package further includes one or more fluid circuit sections (19) each intended to receive respective electrolyte solutions (ie, two different solutions, see Dual Flow Redox Mode below). Including. Each associated solution has a soluble electroactive species. The fluidic part is designed to receive the electrolyte solution, bring the electrolyte solution into contact with the corresponding electrode and supply power to the operating IC, for example. Since the electrode is incorporated in the package, electric power can be supplied near the IC, thereby improving the efficiency of power supply. Finally, it is noted that the need for electrical power feeding and heat removal is met, as liquid can be added in-situ and intended for suitable heat removal.
[Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrochemically powered integrated circuit package provided in a computer system such as, for example, a data center. In particular, the present invention relates to an integrated circuit package that is powered by an electrolyte solution containing soluble electroactive species so as to power the integrated circuit of the package. Consistently, the present invention further relates to a computer system comprising such a circuit package and a method of operating the same.

  Increasing the integration density of planar integrated circuits (ICs) leads to reduced feature sizes and higher density packaging of each element. While this evolution benefits transistor switching speed, the delay time due to on-chip wiring is significantly increased, compromising the overall performance of the IC.

  As is well known, when a three-dimensional (3D) integration of an IC is performed, the wiring length is greatly reduced by providing vertical signal and power transmission paths. The stacking method is highly modular, allowing the integration of different technologies into a single cube and providing a significant bandwidth improvement by stacking caches on processor units. On the other hand, 3D integration requires higher power per unit area and connection pins. Another problem is the strong cooling requirement per unit projected area. Through-silicon-via (TSV) is an important aspect of 3D integration and provides vertical signal and power transfer, but reduces the surface area of active silicon and causes wiring congestion. The degree of integration in the vertical direction is strongly limited by the stored power density because it is not possible to easily cool three or more stacked high performance logic layers and to deliver sufficient power. A scalable solution for cooling many stacked processors has become apparent. However, the problem of a viable method of supplying electrical power remains. More generally, power supply and cooling are two concerns associated with IC chips.

The following are conventional solutions for these problems.
-Patent Document 1 ("Integrated Self Contained Sensor Assembly") relating to a methanol fuel cell generally using a porous proton exchange membrane. In particular, this patent discloses a built-in sensor assembly that includes a hybrid power module, a transceiver, and one or more sensors or detectors. The hybrid power module of the sensor assembly includes a fuel cell and an electronic storage device that can be charged by the fuel cell. The fuel cell membrane and the micro fuel cell may be directly incorporated into the electronic device.
Non-patent document 1. In particular, this publication discloses a schematic diagram of an IC including an integrated micro fuel cell, FIG. 2.9. This design represents a process that evaporates fuel with residual heat and also helps cool integrated circuits.

  There remains a need to improve the known solutions of supplying electrical power into an IC chip or chip stack.

  Other disclosures such as Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3, and Non-Patent Document 2 also describe related background art aspects.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0092862 International Publication No. 2008/133655 US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0148527

“Microfabricated Fuel Cells to Power Integrated Circuits”, Christopher W. et al. Moore, PhD Dissertation, Chemical Engineering, 2005, p. 210, Georgia Institute of Technology Bakir MS, Huang G, Sekar D, King C. et al. “3D Integrated Circuits: Liquid Cooling and Power Delivery”. IETE Rev Rev 2009; 26: 407-16 Brunschwiler et al. , Microsystem Technologies 15, 57 (2009). Pratt and Kumar, The Datacenter Journal, March 28 (2007). Bartolozzi, Journal of Power Sources 27, 219 (1989). de Leon et al. , Journal of Power Sources 160, 716 (2006). Thaller, DOE / NASA / 1002-79 / 3 (1979). Skylars-Kazacos and Grossmith, Journal of the Electronic Society 134, 2950 (1987). Kjeang et al. , Journal of Power Sources 186, 353 (2009). Maynard and Meyers, Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B 20, 1287 (2002). Bazilak et al. , Journal of Power Sources 143, 57 (2005). Kjeang et al. , Electrochimica Acta 52, 4942 (2007). de Jong et al. Lab on a Chip 6, 1125 (2006). Mano and Heller, Journal of the Electrochemical Society 150, A1136 (2003). Sung and Choi, Journal of Power Sources 172, 198 (2007). Priestnall et al. , Journal of Power Sources 106, 21 (2002). Moghdamdam et al. , Nature Nanotechnology 5,230 (2010). Tjerkstra et al. , Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems 9,495 (2000). Chen et al. , Journal of the Electrochemical Society 128, 1461 (1981). Chen et al. , Journal of the Electrochemical Society 129, 63 (1982). Murthy and Srivastava, Journal of Power Sources 27, 119 (1989). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 90th edition, 2009-2010. Ferrigno et al. , Journal of the American Chemical Society 124, 12930 (2002).

  There remains a need to improve the known solutions of supplying electrical power into an IC chip or chip stack.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides an integrated circuit package, a layer structure comprising an electrode disposed on a layer of the layer structure and an integrated circuit electrically connected to the electrode. One or more fluid circuit portions, each receiving at least one electrolyte solution containing a soluble electroactive species, and contacting the solution with at least some of the electrodes to operate an integrated circuit And an integrated circuit package, each of which is configured to supply power to a fluid circuit portion.

In each embodiment, the integrated circuit packaging may include one or more of the following features.
At least one of the one or more fluid circuit sections is designed to substantially cool the operating integrated circuit with the respective electrolyte solution.
At least one of the one or more fluid circuit portions is configured such that the respective solution flows along the layers of the layer structure.
-At least one of the one or more fluid circuit parts is configured such that the respective solution flows between two layers of the layer structure, said two layers preferably being 3D of the layers of the integrated circuit Two layers of an integrated circuit configured as a stack.
At least some of the electrodes are designed as spacers that constrain the layers of the layer structure.
At least some of the electrodes are arranged on one side of the layer of the layer structure and the solution flows along one side by at least one of the one or more fluid circuit parts.
-At least some of the electrodes are arranged in each of the two layers, between each of which one electrolyte solution of each of the one or more fluid circuit sections flows.
The electrode disposed on one side of one of the two layers comprises both a cathode and an anode.
The layer structure comprises an integrated circuit chip comprising at least some of the printed wiring boards, substrate interconnects and integrated circuits, and at least some of the electrodes and at least one of the one or more fluid circuit parts; Is disposed on one side of one of a printed wiring board, board interconnect or integrated circuit chip.
The one or more fluid circuit portions are configured to receive a single electrolyte solution, and the electrode includes a selective cathode and an anode, the one or more fluid circuit portions comprising the single electrolyte solution; Are configured to contact the selective cathode and anode to form a single flow redox system therewith.
The one or more fluid circuit portions receive two electrolyte solutions, preferably comprise a membrane arranged to separate the two electrolyte solutions of the one or more fluid circuit portions, and the two electrolyte solutions; In contact with each subset of electrodes, one of the subsets including a cathode and another of the subsets including an anode, thereby configured to form a dual flow redox system.
One or more fluid circuit sections are each filled with a respective electrolyte solution, said respective electrolyte solution being a redox pair that is soluble in both its oxidized and reduced forms, preferably powering the integrated circuit A supporting electrolyte that does not exhibit a redox process in the potential range used, and an additive for adjusting the reversibility of the redox potential or redox couple or both.
- electrolyte solution of the respective, following redox ^{couples: Fe 2+ / Fe 3+, V} 2+ / V 3+, VO 2+ / VO 2 +, Ce 3+ / Ce 4+, Co 2+ / Co 3+, Cr 2+ / Cr 3+, Ti ³⁺ / TiOH ³⁺ , Cr ³⁺ / Cr ₂ O ₇ ²⁻ , BH ₄ ⁻ / BO ₂ , OH ⁻ / H ₂ O ₂ , Br ⁻ / Br ³⁻ , Mn ²⁺ / Mn ³⁺ , Ru ²⁺ / Ru ³⁺ Any one or a derivative thereof and an additive such as acetate, o-phenanthroline, methylphenanthroline, dimethylphenanthroline, bipyridine, ethylenediamine, and each of the electrolyte solutions preferably has the following supporting electrolyte as a solvent: H ₂ SO ₄ , HCl, Na ₂ SO ₄ , NaCl, NaOH, K ₂ SO ₄ , KOH and Or any one of water.

  According to another aspect, the present invention is a computer system comprising at least one integrated circuit package according to the present invention and electricity in fluid communication with one or more fluid circuit portions of said at least one integrated circuit package. One or more of the fluid circuit portions of the at least one integrated circuit package, depending on the power supply needs of the at least one integrated circuit package in operation. Implemented as a computer system further comprising a convection unit configured to control convection of the electrolyte solution.

  According to a last aspect, the present invention is a method for operating a computer system, comprising a computer system comprising an integrated circuit package according to the present invention, each fluid circuit portion of said at least one integrated circuit package. The method comprising: providing power to the integrated circuit by contacting at least one electrolyte solution of at least one of the electrodes of the at least one integrated circuit package.

  A method, apparatus and system for implementing the present invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A conventional single chip package (prior art) is shown. 1 schematically illustrates an integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 schematically illustrates an integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 schematically illustrates an integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 schematically illustrates an integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 schematically illustrates an integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 schematically illustrates an integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 schematically illustrates an integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 schematically illustrates an integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 schematically illustrates an integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 schematically illustrates an integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 schematically illustrates an integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 schematically illustrates an integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 schematically illustrates an integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 schematically illustrates an integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a 3D lamination | stacking perspective view of IC chip which can mount embodiment of this invention. 5 shows a fluid circuit portion filled with an electrolyte solution that contacts an electrode and supplies power to an IC package, related to each embodiment. 5 shows a fluid circuit portion filled with an electrolyte solution that contacts an electrode and supplies power to an IC package, related to each embodiment. 5 shows a fluid circuit portion filled with an electrolyte solution that contacts an electrode and supplies power to an IC package, related to each embodiment. 4 is a flowchart illustrating method steps according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 shows a computer system with an electrochemical power supply unit according to an embodiment of the invention. 1 illustrates a conventional data center architecture including an online uninterruptible power supply (prior art). 2 is a modified data center architecture scheme including an online uninterruptible power supply reflecting an embodiment of the present invention.

  As an introduction to the following description, the general aspects of the present invention directed to integrated circuit packages will first be presented. The package has a layer structure including an IC and an electrode disposed in electrical connection with the layers of the layer structure. The package further includes fluid circuit portions each intended to receive a respective electrolyte solution (ie, two different solutions, see dual flow redox mode below). Each associated solution has a soluble electroactive species. The fluidic part is designed to receive the electrolyte solution, bring the electrolyte solution into contact with the corresponding electrode and supply power to the operating IC, for example. Since the electrode is incorporated in the package, electric power can be supplied near the IC, thereby improving the efficiency of power supply. Higher electrical power density can be achieved by forced convection of the electrochemical solution in contact with the electrode. Finally, it is noted that the need for electrical power feeding and heat removal is met, as liquid can be added in-situ and intended for suitable heat removal. In this regard, the fluid circuit may be optimally designed to substantially cool the IC. For this reason, a combined solution may be obtained that simultaneously solves the problems of electrical power supply and cooling.

Such solutions are particularly well suited for 3D ICs where interlayer cooling is combined with electrochemical power delivery. For example, a bifunctional aqueous coolant may be prepared using an electroactive redox couple that remains soluble in all stages of the power supply process. For example, an aqueous redox pair capable of providing a potential difference of 1 V between a negative electrode and a positive electrode is known. In addition, heat removal can be achieved at rates in excess of 200 W / cm ² by, for example, cooling between layers by forced convection in a 3D silicon stack including pins.

  In an IC, virtually all electrical power is converted to heat. Thus, as described above, local cooling and power requirements are consistent, which is advantageous for a combination of cooling and power feeding. Both heat dissipation and current density provided by the flow of electroactive coolant (eg, pressure driven) benefit from mass transport and temperature increase due to optimized convection. This approach can free up important resources. For example, 3D stacks significantly reduce the number of through-silicon vias (TSVs) allocated to power feeds (power supply vias), thus freeing valuable chip area, reducing wiring congestion and minimizing macro design can do. The number of signal vias that can be introduced is increased, thereby improving the communication bandwidth. Overall, power-related wiring is further simplified by requiring only on-chip wiring, eliminating the need for interconnects beyond the wafer level.

  In addition, the above solution is advantageously applied to server operations such as those used in data centers and incorporates an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) function when an electroactive coolant reservoir is incorporated. Can be provided. Its autonomy can be easily determined by changing the size of the repository. By modifying existing data center UPS designs, power feeds and voltage conversions, significant efficiency gains are possible.

  Another advantage of electrochemical power supply is that the need for decoupling capacitors is eliminated, thereby freeing up more TSV and processor stack valuable space.

Other features of the present invention will be described with reference to the embodiments of FIGS. For the sake of understanding, a conventional single chip package 10 'will first be described with reference to FIG. Such a chip has a well-known layer structure. Each of the various layers shown is, for example,
-Printed wiring board (that is, PWB: printed wiring board) 11
A solder ball layer 12;
A substrate interconnect 13;
-Solder bump 14 and underfill layer 15; and-IC chip itself 16
It may be.

  Such components are well known per se. Electric power is supplied to the IC through each layer, that is, from the PWB 11 through the solder balls 12, the substrate interconnects 13, and the solder bumps 14. Note that in the case of IC microprocessors, typically most of the solder balls and bumps are assigned to power supply (power / ground), while only a small part are assigned to signal transmission. I want.

  An improvement in the electrical power supply can be achieved as described in the following embodiments.

  First, FIG. 2 shows a modified integrated circuit package 10a. This device still has a layer structure reminiscent of the device of FIG. This package may include, for example, the same continuous layers as in FIG. 1, namely PWB 11, solder balls, substrate interconnect 13, solder bumps and underfill, and chip 16.

  However, this time, electrodes 17 are provided which are electrically connected to the layers of the structure, for example arranged directly on these layers. In the example of FIG. 2, an electrode 17 is disposed on the PWB 11 that extends to one side of the remaining layer arrangement of the device 10a. Thereby, the IC is connected to the electrodes (in this case indirectly via the continuous layers 11-15).

  Furthermore, a fluid circuit unit 19 that can be filled with an electrolyte solution containing soluble electroactive species is provided. The unit 19 is configured to supply electric power to the IC layer 16 during operation, for example, by bringing the solution into contact with an electrode 17 (for example, the electrode array 17) disposed on the upper surface of the PWB layer 11. Is done. In this example, the fluid section 19 simply faces the electrode and in this case has a distribution manifold with an opening that can be connected to a fluid circuit supplying the solution as represented by the inlet / outlet arrows 19i, 19o. It is. Fluid circuit parts and connections suitable for fluid circuits can be obtained, for example, according to known techniques of microfluidic technology. Details of electrochemistry will be discussed later with reference to FIGS.

  For example, the manifold may be designed as a cavity in a first silicon block that is open to one or more surfaces (eg, to the bottom surface). The fluid circuit may be provided, for example, as a groove in such a silicon block open to the top surface. Other manifolds may typically be made from ceramics, metals, hard polymers, or the like. The second silicon block may be contacted with the first silicon block to close the opening groove. Thereafter, the first block is placed on the upper surface of the layer of the structure in which the electrodes are arranged. Many other mounting techniques are possible. For example, the fluid distribution flow path may be machined into a metal heat sink with high thermal conductivity. By doing so, the heat sink can be placed on the top surface of the IC package and the insulating layer can isolate the electrodes from the heat sink material. Another implementation may include silicon micromachining to obtain a microfluidic flow path. Possible electrode arrangements will be discussed later in FIGS.

  To summarize the embodiment of FIG. 2, although a conventional single chip package is provided, an electrochemical (EC) power conversion unit and an electrode array are provided on the PWB for power supply. ing. Such a solution enables power supply in situ. Furthermore, this involves the removal of heat because the solution circulating through the manifold 19 takes in the heat transferred from the chip to the PWB.

  The following figure corresponds to another embodiment of a modified integrated circuit package 10b-10n, still having a layer structure similar to that of FIG. For simplicity, not all reference numbers are repeated.

  For example, FIG. 3 shows a conventional single chip package 10b, but this time, for power supply, adjacent power conversion units 19 (eg, fluids) on a common substrate interconnect 13 are shown. An electrolyte solution manifold (in fluid communication with the circuit) and an electrode 17 are provided. The substrate interconnect 13 is disposed on the solder balls and the PWB layer that extend sideways from the remainder of the package. In this example, electrical power is supplied closer to the final consumer 16. Therefore, improvement in heat removal is expected as compared with the example of FIG.

  Next, FIG. 4 shows another single chip package 10c with a fluid distribution manifold 19 on top of an electrode array 17 disposed directly on the IC chip 16 for power delivery and cooling. Such an arrangement allows direct power supply to the IC layer, and also allows the electrolyte solution to fully capture the heat generated in the IC layer, which is more efficient than the embodiment of FIG. 2 or 3 To be done.

  FIG. 6 is similar, ie, shows a device 10e in which a fluid distribution manifold 19 on the top surface of the layer structure is placed in fluid communication with the electrode array 17 for power delivery and cooling. However, the device shown here is a multichip package integrated vertically. For example, there are prior art solutions that allow multi-layer manufacturing in such multi-chip packages. The difference here is that an electrode 17 and a power conversion unit (fluid part 19) which are suitably arranged on the upper surface of the chip 16 are incorporated.

  A person skilled in the art, in the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 2 to 4 and 6), the fluid circuit unit 19 is configured such that the electrolyte solution is one layer (that is, 11, 13 or 16) of the layer structure of the IC packages 10a to 10c. ) Can be understood to flow along. Such a configuration is advantageous because the power conversion unit can be designed as a mere accessory device on top of the layers of the structures 10a-c. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that such a design does not require substantial changes to the chip manufacturing process. Further, in each of the above embodiments (FIGS. 2-4 and 6), a single flow redox system or a dual flow redox system may be intended. In the case of a single flow redox system, the fluid circuit section 19 includes only one electrolyte solution, which is brought into contact with an optional array of electrodes. When a dual flow redox system is intended, the part 19 needs to be filled with, for example, two fluids separated by a membrane and brought into contact with each electrode set suitably arranged for that purpose.

  Next, other embodiments may be contemplated in which the fluid circuit portion is configured such that the electrolyte solution flows between two layers of the layer structure, for example, two IC layers of a 3D stack of ICs. Such an embodiment shall be considered with reference to FIGS. Such an arrangement enables power supply close to the IC layer, although not directly. Further, such an arrangement allows the electrolyte solution (s) to more efficiently remove the heat generated in the IC layer.

  For example, FIG. 5 shows a single chip package 10d in which a fluid distributor is incorporated into the substrate interconnect 13 'for power delivery and cooling. In this case, the substrate interconnect 13 'is configured as two layers that are suitably separated, for example, constrained by a spacer 23 that is known per se. For this reason, the two-layer configuration of the substrate interconnect 13 'is used in place of the fluid circuit described above, providing a fluid path 19' that is advantageous in many respects (efficient power supply and heat removal). The dimensions of the two layers may be adapted to the nature of the electrolyte solution as needed to favor convection and / or prevent undesirable capillary action, or both.

  Several variations to the above embodiment may be contemplated. For example, FIG. 7 shows a vertically integrated multi-chip package 10f that includes dual power feeding and cooling that actually combines the ideas and advantages of FIGS. 4 and 5 within a multi-chip package. .

  Yet another idea of power supply and cooling is shown in the embodiment of FIG. 8 and proposes a vertically integrated multi-chip package 10g that includes spacers 23 of interlayer fluid distributor 19 '. Hereinafter, the reference number 19 'is used for the interlayer fluid circuit portion, while the reference number 19 is used for the single layer portion. Here, a housing 21 (for example, a silicon side wall) that limits the fluid distributor close to the multilayer structure may be provided. For this reason, the electrolyte solution can flow between the layers of the layer structure, for example, the IC layer. Thus, an efficient integration scheme for power supply and cooling can be achieved for vertically integrated multi-chip packages. A corresponding perspective view is shown in FIG. In FIG. 16, reference numerals 24 and 25 correspond to through-silicon vias (TSV) and solder balls, respectively. This structure as a whole defines a multi-fluid circuit portion 19 'that ensures efficient power supply and cooling. Although this embodiment illustrates a single overall inlet 19i and a single overall outlet 19o, in a preferred variant, a dual flow inlet and single outlet, or a dual flow inlet and dual flow. Note that an exit or the like may be used.

  Thus, to summarize the embodiment of FIGS. 5, 7 or 8 (and 16), at least one fluid circuit portion 19 ′ is such that the electrolyte solution flows between the two IC layers of the device layer, eg, the 3D stack. Can be designed. Note that for ease of understanding, these figures do not show the electrode arrangement associated with the interlayer fluid section. In practice, as discussed next, any one of the electrode configurations discussed with reference to FIGS. 9-15 may be used. Each of the embodiments of FIGS. 5, 7 or 8 (and 16) can correspond to either a single redox flow solution or a dual redox flow solution. Nonetheless, implementing a dual redox flow solution requires some modification, such as proper distribution of the electrolyte solution within one or more fluidic portions 19 '.

  Here, to summarize the embodiments of FIGS. 2-8, each of the fluid circuit sections 19, 19 ′ accepts one (or two) electrolyte solution (s), which are layered on the devices 10a-10g. It can be appreciated that at least one portion 19, 19 'may be designed so that it can flow along or between layers of the structure.

  9 to 15 show partial views of the chip devices 10h to 10n. FIG. 9 shows an on-chip electrode arrangement 17 through which a single electrolyte flows during interlayer configuration. The target layers 13, 16 can be, for example, a double substrate interconnect (such as 13 ′ in FIG. 5 or 7) suitably constrained by a spacer 23, or two parallel IC chips 16 as in FIG. 8. But you can. A possible electrode arrangement is an alternating electrode array mounted inside each of the two associated layers (ie, the side in contact with the electrolyte flow). The electrodes 17a1 and 17c1 may correspond to, for example, an anode and a cathode disposed on the first layers 13 and 16, respectively. Electrodes 17a2 and 17c2 are the corresponding electrodes on the second layer 13, 16 (subscript “a” represents “anode” (white), “c” represents “cathode” (black), “1” and “2” correspond to the first and second layers, respectively). As pointed out above, since a single flow is involved in this case, the electrode / electrolyte configuration requires selectivity appropriate for the electrode. Descriptions of single flow or mixed reactant systems have been previously described (see, eg, Priestnall 2002, Sung 2007, Mano 2003, last literature list). This configuration may be used, for example, in the embodiments of FIGS. Electrode selectivity can be achieved, for example, by coating one electrode with a porous material that allows only smaller ions to pass through, such as zeolite. Furthermore, an electrode catalyst material that promotes oxidation or reduction of electroactive species may be introduced into the electrode.

  FIG. 10 shows an arrangement that is similar but with a slightly different electrode arrangement. In this case, the cathode 17c1 is arranged inside the first (upper) layer, while the anode 17a2 is attached to the second layer. This configuration also requires electrode selectivity. Although this configuration is easier to manufacture than the configuration of FIG. 9 (only one type of electrode is provided for each layer), the resulting electrical circuit is unlikely to be a closed circuit, so the power efficiency is slightly reduced. And high electrode selectivity is required. This interlayer configuration may also be used in the embodiments of FIGS.

Next, FIG. 11 shows another electrode arrangement that combines the functionality of the electrodes with the functionality of the spacers 23. For example, an alternate arrangement of anode 17a and cathode 17c may be contemplated. The spacer material is adapted accordingly. Suitable processes are available to selectively adapt the material used for the spacer surface. The electrode material may be applied to the spacer surface by known microfabrication techniques such as evaporation, sputtering, vapor deposition or plating combined with removal of anisotropic material by reverse sputtering or ion etching. The electrode material used may be selected according to its compatibility with the solution and its activity against electrochemical reactions, and in particular may contain carbon and noble metals such as Au, Pt or Pd. Furthermore, the electrode material may comprise a metal alloy, an electronically conductive silicide or carbide, such as SiC and B ₄ C. The selectivity to the electrode material and the catalytic activity may be imparted as described above. Variations such as that of FIG. 11 advantageously optimize the functionality of the spacer and release some of the valuable area inside the layers involved. This configuration may also be used with the embodiments of FIGS.

  Each of the embodiments of FIGS. 9, 10 or 11 contemplates a single electrolyte flow as a whole (thus a selective electrode is required). On the other hand, although referred to herein as a “single” flow, the corresponding fluid circuit may be decomposed into one (FIG. 5) or a plurality of interlayer fluid circuit portions 19 ′ (for example, as in FIG. 8). Alternatively, an on-top circuit portion 19 combined with an interlayer portion 19 ′ may be further included (FIG. 7). In other words, it further includes one or more fluid circuit portions 19, 19 'in combination with a single electrolyte solution. In either case, the fluidic portion is suitably configured so that a single electrolyte solution can contact the selective cathode and anode (single flow redox solution).

Unlike the embodiment of FIGS. 9, 10 or 11, the embodiment of FIGS. 12-15 includes an interlayer fluid circuit portion 19 ′ intended to receive a different electrolyte solution (not shown). The solution may be separated by, for example, the membrane 20 or another type of separator. See below. The incorporation of microfluidic membrane materials has been described previously (de Jong 2006), and may include, in particular, porous silicon (Mohmaddam 2010, Tjerkstra 2000). In either case, dual flow is achieved by constraining the electrolyte solution within each fluid circuit section 19 ₁ ′, 19 ₂ ′ accordingly to contact the respective subset of electrodes (ie, cathode or anode). -Form a redox system.

For example, FIG. 12 shows an on-chip electrode arrangement in which two electrolytes constrained in respective fluid circuit portions 19 ₁ ′, 19 ₂ of the interlayer configuration flow. The two streams are parallel to the chip surface (dashed line), showing the membrane 20, diffusion zone 20 'or intermediate layer, or yet another type of separator that allows the passage of inactive ions to close the electrical circuit. ). In other respects, this electrode arrangement is the same as in FIG.

  Next, in FIG. 13, the electrode arrangements 17a2 and 17c1 are used as spacers in the same manner as in FIG. 11, except that each spacer is designed to act as both a cathode and an anode (that is, each side of the separation line). Apply.

  Next, FIG. 14 shows another on-chip electrode arrangement in which two electrolytes flow through the interlayer configuration. The flow here is the flow coming from the plane of the figure and is also perpendicular to the chip surface (dashed line), which may also indicate a membrane, diffusion zone, intermediate layer, or yet another type of separation Separated by Interlayer spacers are not shown for clarity. The two flows are constrained in the anode or cathode portions 19a 'and 19c', respectively. Reference numeral 27 denotes a fluid outlet from the plane of the figure.

  Next, the last FIG. 15 is the same as FIG. 14 except that the electrode arrangement is applied to the spacer as shown in FIG. 11 or 13. In this case, the spacer on one side of the parts 20 and 20 'to be separated serves as the cathode 17c, and the other (the other side) serves as the anode 17a. Again, the flow is constrained within the anode or cathode portions 19a 'and 19c', respectively.

  The electrolyte solution (s) will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  17-19 show the details of the fluid circuit section filled with electrolyte solutions 31, 32 that contact the electrodes for the purpose of power supply and cooling. FIGS. 17 and 18 relate to the dual flow redox system already discussed, and FIG. 19 corresponds to the single flow redox system. In all cases, Red and Ox represent reduced and oxidized electroactive species, with electron transfer at the electrode / solution interface indicated by arrows. The direction of the electrolyte solution flow is from top to bottom.

  In FIG. 17, two electrolyte solutions 31 and 32 are separated by the membrane 20. FIG. 17 recalls a conventional redox flow battery configuration that includes an ion selective membrane that separates the electrolyte solution and the same electrode material. In contrast, FIG. 18 recalls a filmless redox electrochemical solution that relies on a filmless co-laminar flow configuration comprising the same electrode material. FIG. 19 relates to a single-flow architecture that includes selective electrodes (meaning various electrode materials that selectively enhance oxidation and reduction reactions). In either case, significant heat removal can be obtained not only by EC power supply, but also by circulation of the electrolyte solution.

  The dimensions and flow rates of the fluid circuit section may vary depending on, for example, the electrolyte solution and power needs actually used to optimize power density and heat removal. In particular, capillarity should be addressed, i.e. minimum interlayer dimensions may need to be considered. On the other hand, for example, capillary action may be used so as to be advantageous for convection using a capillary pump. Note that there are no such considerations when treating with gas instead of liquid. However, the heat removal capability obtained with liquids is much greater than gas.

  Electrolyte solutions generally have an active redox couple that participates in electron charge transfer with the electrode, a supporting electrolyte that supplies ions that contribute to the ionic conductivity of the solution, but do not contribute to electron charge transfer, and a significant amount of active solution. And a solvent that dissolves both the redox couple and the supporting electrolyte.

Active redox couple, preferably should be present in dissolved form in both the reduced state and oxidation state, thus ^{Fe 2+ / Fe 3+, V 2+} / V 3+, VO 2+ / VO 2 +, Ce 3+ / Ce 4+ , Co ²⁺ / Co ³⁺ , Cr ²⁺ / Cr ³⁺ , Ti ³⁺ / TiOH ³⁺ , Cr ³⁺ / Cr ₂ O ₇ ²⁻ , BH ₄ ⁻ / BO ₂ , OH ⁻ / H ₂ O ₂ , Br ⁻ / Br ³⁻ , Mn ²⁺ / Mn ³⁺ , Ru ²⁺ / Ru ³⁺ may be selected. It will be appreciated that the redox couple may be introduced into the solution in the form of a salt or any suitable derivative such as sulfate, chloride, hydroxide, or carbonate. The concentration of salt should be high enough to provide a high density of electroactive species, preferably 1 mol / L or more. The concentration may be lower if the electrode dimensions are reduced to increase the diffusion rate, as is known as a microelectrode array.

The supporting electrolyte should be selected to match a salt containing an active redox _couple , such as H ₂ SO ₄ , HCl, Na ₂ SO ₄ , NaCl, NaOH, K ₂ SO ₄ , KOH. The concentration of the supporting electrolyte is preferably 0.5 mol / L or higher in order to make it high enough to minimize the resistance of the solution while still avoiding ionic association or too high a viscosity. Should. In the case of deformation, a concentration of 2 mol / L or higher is preferred and considerable performance is obtained.

  The solvent should allow for a high solubility of the salt containing the active redox couple and the supporting electrolyte. In the case of the above species, water is a suitable solvent.

  In order to improve the performance of the system, not only the above components but also additives may be introduced into this solution. Ligand species may be added to alter the redox potential of the active redox couple, as is well known, particularly in electrochemistry (eg, Chen 1981, Chen 1982, Murthy 1989).

  In the dual flow configuration (FIGS. 17 and 18), the two solutions each preferably contain different active redox pairs. The potential difference between the redox pair is selected to be close to the voltage required to power the IC.

  In a single flow configuration, a single solution contains both active redox pairs and the electrode exhibits high selectivity as described above.

  The separation between the electrodes may be selected arbitrarily, but preferably should be minimized to reduce the ionic resistance of the solution between the electrodes. In the inter-layer configuration including the electrodes arranged in the opposing layers (FIGS. 8, 10, 12, and 16), the distance between the electrodes is defined by the height of the spacer. Preferably, this height is in the range of 10 μm to 300 μm.

  Next, FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating method steps according to an embodiment of the present invention. Basically, this method is aimed at supplying power to the IC package by convection of the electrolyte solution as discussed above. In practice, the computer system is provided with a plurality of chip packages (ie, according to the above embodiment) and further includes an electrochemical (EC) power unit (step 100). The EC unit is in fluid communication with the fluid portion of the chip to allow convection of the electrolyte solution (s). Preferably, the need for actual power may be monitored (step S300), and fluid convection is appropriately controlled to provide suitably modified electrical power (S200). In this case, a simple feedback loop may be required.

  In this regard, FIG. 21 illustrates a computer system with an electrochemical power supply unit 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The proposed redox flow power feeder simply puts hundreds of chip packages, such as a 3D silicon stack including pins as discussed above, into the electrolyte flow path of a conventional redox flow battery. Including data center). Such a battery includes two fluid circuits 111 and 112, each having an electrolyte tank 121 and 122, respectively. The flow rate of the circuit is controlled by pumps 141 and 142. Further, the cells 151 and 152 are in contact with the respective electrodes 131 and 132 (in this case, only for charging) and are separated by the EC film 25. When the solution is refilled, a voltage is applied to the EC film 25 by another power supply unit 120. Applied. Because discharge occurs in the computer system 100, the configuration of FIG. 21 actually allows continuous operation. Depending on the details of the actual implementation, these batteries further allow for high flow rates, high power density, high temperature operation, and coolant functionality. The interconnection of the computer system 100 on the battery electrolyte flow path uses techniques well known per se from microfluidics (eg, tubing and / or PDMS machining, manifolds, etc.) May be.

When water is used as the liquid coolant, heat removal can be achieved at a rate in excess of 200 W / cm ² by performing forced convection cooling between layers in a 3D stack containing pins (Brunschwiller 2009). Power delivery is accomplished by providing an electroactive species to the electrolyte solution that is electrochemically discharged at the electrodes of the integrated circuit package as discussed above.

  There are many redox pair pairs in the field of aqueous electrochemistry that allow potential differences on the order of 1V in electrode pairs (CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics 2010). Such a voltage is sufficient to power the current transistor. Furthermore, it can be understood that electrochemical power feeding using aqueous solutions is more suitable for the recent trend of supply voltage, ie the recent trend targeting lower values, eg 0.6V. .

  The benefits of such science and technology are enormous. For example, improvements in both the packaging infrastructure and the computer system (eg, data center) infrastructure are expected.

  The first concerns packaging benefits. In high performance 3D ICs, power transmission TSVs (power supply vias) are currently estimated to account for 66% of the total area using TSVs. By shifting the entire power supply to bifunctional coolant, this area is used to increase design flexibility or to form additional signal vias. Since the electrochemical discharge occurs locally (eg, on-chip), no interface to elements other than the chip level is required. For this reason, all the power-related wiring can be simplified and limited to the chip level.

  The second concerns the base profit. Power supply is ensured by the electroactive species of the coolant. Increasing the absolute amount of electroactive species available improves the autonomy of the system. In this connection, as shown in FIG. 21, a simple way to obtain this autonomy is by introducing solution reservoirs 121, 122 into the cooling loops 111, 112. Even in the event of a power outage on the utility side, the electroactive coolant can be supplied until the amount is depleted. It can also be measured that the voltage sent to the chip decreases with the depth of discharge of the solution. The optimum operating range for an electrochemical system is at a discharge depth of 10% to 90%. At this discharge depth, the supply voltage of an electrochemical power supply system consisting of a one-electron redox pair is almost linear as expected. Fluctuates about 0.1V. A significant drop in supply voltage occurs only when the depth of discharge approaches 100%. Thus, the autonomous operation of the system is essentially determined by the size of the reservoir that can be easily designed independently of the local on-chip electrode configuration.

  For this reason, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) can be provided. To link such a UPS to a computer system, it may be proposed to redesign the current power supply infrastructure for the purpose of improving efficiency.

  The modified and conventional data center architecture schemes including online UPS are shown in FIGS. More specifically, a comparison is made between a conventional data center power supply architecture (FIG. 22) and a combined cooling / electrochemical power supply (FIG. 23). The energy efficiency of the elements included in the conventional architecture is based on the reported heavy load values (Pratt 2007), whereas the energy efficiency of the electrochemical system is the best estimate. The thin line represents the current flow, whereas the electroactive coolant flow is represented by the thick line. The abbreviations used are typically uninterruptible power supply (UPS), alternating current (AC), direct current (DC), power distribution unit (PDU), and power supply unit (PSU). Unit, voltage regulator (VR), and electrochemical cell (EC).

  The percentage shown in FIG. 22 corresponds to the rate of electrical power remaining after successive conversion steps of electrical power entering the data center. Here, as an example, only the electric power necessary to supply the processor directly is shown. In conventional data center architectures, powering the processor is estimated to be only 36% efficient in the data center mainly due to conversion losses.

  By applying electrochemical power feed (FIG. 23), a conversion from utility level 400V AC to server level 1V DC can be performed centrally at the beginning of the conversion chain. In the case of copper wire, this voltage conversion would require 400 times more copper if carrying the corresponding current with acceptable resistance loss. However, by converting electrical energy into chemical energy (DC / EC electrochemical cell in FIG. 23) at the central location of the facility, such excessive wiring is not required. The electroactive coolant to be filled can be distributed to the rack level at a flow rate of 10 L / min. This corresponds to carrying about 16 kA of current, assuming one electron exchange per redox pair for each of the two electrolyte solutions, and an active redox pair concentration of 1 mol / L. After this stage, power is supplied in the form of chemical energy, and the rate of energy transport is determined by the flow rate of the electroactive coolant. Since the power required for cooling is not included in FIG. 23, the pump power related to the transport of electroactive coolant is considered part of the cooling base and is not included in the efficiency comparison. Furthermore, in the case of a large current of about several kA, charge transport by forced convection of ions through a tube having a suitable diameter is more energy efficient and cost efficient than electron conduction by a metal wire. The coolant flow at the rack level avoids a significant pressure drop in the narrower flow path so that the final conversion of chemical energy to electrical energy is between the layers of the IC, eg 3D IC (processor level in FIG. 23). ) At a lower flow rate through the manifold to the server level until it occurs in the vicinity.

  Using the data center electrochemical powering concept that provides dramatic improvements compared to traditional architectures, the efficiency of powering the processor is estimated at 77%. The main reasons for making this electrochemical power supply idea easier to implement are the removal of traditional online UPS systems and the ability to distribute power at low voltage levels in the form of chemical energy instead of electrical energy. This is because the multiple conversion step of the power supply chain is avoided.

  The storage of electrical energy as chemical energy in the form of soluble electroactive species and the conversion to electrical energy using forced convection is the field of redox flow batteries (RFBs) or reversible fuel cells. May be associated. Scientific journals on the class of galvanic cells are available, and their commercial use has so far been primarily aimed at energy storage in distributed grids, as well as peak shaving and power load leveling (Bartolozzi 1989, de Leon 2006). The best studied and established systems include iron-chromium RFB (Thaller 1979) and total vanadium (Skylas-Kazacos 1987) RFB.

  As already mentioned, unlike the electrochemical power supply embodiments proposed in FIGS. 21 and 23, the classical RFB system uses the same electrochemical cell (ie, cell 151, FIG. Therefore, only intermittent power feeding can be performed.

  The transition to the microfluidic field of RFB electrochemistry, characterized by a fuel cell concept with a membrane-less configuration based on co-laminar flow at low Reynolds number and an integrated microreactor membrane, is a relatively recent study (Maynard 2002, Ferrigno 2002).

  Note that maximum fuel utilization is an important performance indicator in traditional RFB science and technology, especially in microfluidic implementations (eg Kjeang 2007). In this context, fuel utilization is generally defined as the rate of chemical energy that is converted to electrical energy by an electrochemical process during a single circulation of the electroactive solution.

  It will be appreciated that in this example, fuel utilization is not a major concern compared to power density because pump power needs to be applied to drive the cooling circuit anyway. Therefore, mass transport by convection must be significantly greater than would normally be expected with microfluidic RFB. Note that the enhancement of mass transport contributes to both the electrochemical and heat removal performance of the solution. Furthermore, it is also preferable from the viewpoint of the ionic resistance of the built-in galvanic cell that the IC is miniaturized to a considerable extent as compared with the conventional microfluidic RFB, which increases the power density because resistance loss is reduced. be able to.

  In summary, the proposed cooling / electrochemical power feed strategy has great potential to simultaneously utilize a liquid cooling platform by accommodating power feed to the IC. The main advantage gained from this idea is an improvement in bandwidth and efficiency by simplifying the power supply infrastructure on chip and facility scale.

  On the other hand, the disadvantage of the embodiment proposed in FIG. 21 is that two different electroactive species are required for the anode and cathode reactions and two storage tanks are required. This is not a significant obstacle, but this increases the complexity of the configuration. Another problematic element of redox flow batteries is that a semi-permeable membrane is required (de Jong 2006).

  For this reason, in other embodiments, the membrane is eliminated, and instead the implementation of the present invention relies on parallel laminar flow that separates again at the end of the conversion zone (see FIG. 18). However, this approach is strictly limited to co-layered flow (Kjang 2009) and may be somewhat difficult to implement in arrays using TSV.

  As previously mentioned, in other embodiments, the electrodes function such that certain anodic and cathodic reactions occur selectively with electrodes in the same solution (see FIG. 19). However, this approach can be difficult to implement for 1 V reactions due to limited catalyst selectivity (Mano 2003). This approach is easier to implement at lower voltages.

  Last but not least, the beneficial effect of electrochemical power supply is that it can be increased when the system is operated at high temperatures because the power supply is required for direct heat reuse. For example, the reuse of thermal energy in heating applications further increases the energy efficiency of computer systems. The combination of a 40K temperature increase and efficient mass transport enhancement increases the electrochemical reaction rate by 3-4 orders of magnitude. Such a combination may be particularly advantageous for applications where a very high power density is required to supply sufficient power to the chips in the chip stack.

  The computer program code required to implement at least a portion of the above invention (eg, fluid convection control) may be implemented in a sophisticated (eg, procedural or object oriented) programming language, or as required It may be implemented in assembly language or machine language. In any case, the language may be a compiled language or an interpreted language. Suitable processors include general purpose and special purpose microprocessors. The operations performed by the device, terminal, server, or receiving terminal may be stored in a computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine-readable storage device executed by a programmable processor. Note that method steps may be performed by one or more programmable processors executing instructions that implement the functionality of the present invention.

  More generally, the above invention may be implemented at least in part in digital electronic circuitry, or may be implemented in computer hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. Generally, a processor will get instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. Suitable storage devices for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include any form of non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor storage devices such as EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory devices or others. It is done.

  Although the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and equivalents instead without departing from the scope of the invention. It will be appreciated. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the present teachings of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but the invention is intended to include all embodiments within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the electrode in contact with the electrolyte solution may be constructed using conventional microstructure techniques to achieve increased surface area and enhanced mass transport by diffusion. Other features, such as so-called turbulence promoters, may be provided near the electrode to facilitate mass transport to the electrode by convection. This is advantageous for high power density.

Claims (15)

An integrated circuit package (10a-10n),
A layer structure comprising:
An electrode (17) disposed on the layer (11, 16) of the layer structure, and an integrated circuit (16) electrically connected to the electrode,
One or more fluid circuit parts (19, 19 ′, 19 ₁ ′, 19 ₂ ′), each receiving at least one electrolyte solution (31, 32) comprising soluble electroactive species, and An integrated circuit package comprising a fluid circuit portion each configured to bring the solution into contact with at least some of the electrodes (17) to provide power to the integrated circuit in operation.   The integrated circuit package of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more fluid circuit portions is designed to substantially cool the integrated circuit in operation with a respective electrolyte solution.   The integrated circuit package according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the one or more fluid circuit portions is configured such that a respective solution flows along a layer of the layer structure.   At least one of the one or more fluid circuit portions (19 ′) is configured such that a respective solution flows between the two layers (16) of the layer structure, the two layers being preferably The integrated circuit package of claim 3, wherein is an integrated circuit two layer configured as a 3D stack of integrated circuit (10g) layers.   The integrated circuit package (10j, 10l) according to claim 4, wherein at least some of the electrodes (17a, 17c, 17a2, 17c1) are designed as spacers that constrain the layers (13, 16) of the layer structure. 10n).   At least some of the electrodes are disposed on one side of a layer of the layer structure, and the at least one of the one or more fluid circuit portions allows a solution to flow along the one side. Item 6. The integrated circuit package according to Item 3, 4 or 5.   5. At least some of the electrodes are disposed on each of the two layers, and each one electrolyte solution of the one or more fluid circuit portions (19 ′) flows between the layers. 5. The integrated circuit package according to 5.   The integrated circuit package (10h, 10j, 10m, 10n) of claim 7, wherein the electrode disposed on one side of the two layers includes both a cathode and an anode.   The layer structure includes an integrated circuit chip (16) including a printed wiring board (11), a substrate interconnect (13) and at least some of the integrated circuits, and at least some of the electrodes, and the 1 At least one of the one or more fluid circuit portions (19) is disposed on one side of one of the printed circuit board (11), the substrate interconnect (13) or the integrated circuit chip (16). The integrated circuit package (10a-10c, 10e, 10f) of any one of Claims 1-3.   The one or more fluid circuit portions (19, 19 ′) are configured to receive a single electrolyte solution (31), and the electrode includes a selective cathode and an anode, and the one or more fluids 10. The circuit portion according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the circuit portion is configured such that the single electrolyte solution contacts the selective cathode and anode to form a single flow redox system therewith. The integrated circuit package described. The one or more fluid circuit portions (19, 19 ′, 19 ₁ ′, 19 ₂ ′)
-Receiving two electrolyte solutions (31, 32), preferably comprising a membrane arranged to separate the two electrolyte solutions of the one or more fluid circuit sections; and-the two electrolyte solutions Contacting each respective subset of the electrodes, wherein one of the subsets includes a cathode and another one of the subsets includes an anode, thereby configured to form a dual flow redox system. Item 10. The integrated circuit package according to any one of Items 1 to 9. Each of the one or more fluid circuit portions is filled with a respective electrolyte solution;
The respective electrolyte solution is a redox couple that is soluble in both its oxidized and reduced forms, preferably a supporting electrolyte that does not exhibit a redox process in the potential range used to power the integrated circuit, and a redox potential; The integrated circuit package according to claim 1, comprising an additive for adjusting reversibility of the redox couple. Each of the electrolyte solutions is
- following redox ^{couples: Fe 2+ / Fe 3+, V} 2+ / V 3+, VO 2+ / VO 2 +, Ce 3+ / Ce 4+, Co 2+ / Co 3+, Cr 2+ / Cr 3+, Ti 3+ / TiOH 3+, Cr ^{_{3+ / Cr 2 O 7 2-,}} BH 4 - / BO 2, OH - / H 2 O 2, Br - / Br 3-, Mn 2+ / Mn 3+, any one or a derivative of Ru 2+ / ^{Ru 3+} And-containing additives such as acetate, o-phenanthroline, methylphenanthroline, dimethylphenanthroline, bipyridine, ethylenediamine,
Each of the electrolyte solutions preferably includes any one of the following supporting electrolytes as a solvent: H ₂ SO ₄ , HCl, Na ₂ SO ₄ , NaCl, NaOH, K ₂ SO ₄ , KOH and water.
The integrated circuit package according to claim 12. At least one integrated circuit package (10a to 10n) according to any one of claims 1 to 13;
An electrochemical power supply unit in fluid communication (111, 112, 19i, 19o) with one or more fluid circuit parts (19, 19 ′, 19 ₁ ′, 19 ₂ ′) of the at least one integrated circuit package; (110) one or more electrolyte solutions (31, 32) of the fluid circuit portion of the at least one integrated circuit package according to the need for power supply of the at least one integrated circuit package in operation A computer system comprising the electrochemical power supply unit further comprising a convection unit (141, 142) configured to control convection of the convection. A method of operating a computer system, comprising:
-A computer system including the integrated circuit package according to any one of claims 1 to 13 is prepared (S100),
Supplying power to the integrated circuit by bringing at least one electrolyte solution of a respective fluid circuit portion of the at least one integrated circuit package into contact with at least some of the electrodes of the at least one integrated circuit package ( (S200-S300)
A method comprising steps.

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