IP Library Granted Patent US 8,379,391
Granted Patent B2
US 8,379,391 · App. 12/465,560 · Granted Feb 19, 2013

Memory module with vertically accessed interposer assemblies

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,379,391
App. No.
12/465,560
Granted
Feb 19, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A memory module with attached transposer and interposers to provide additional surface area for the placement of memory devices is disclosed. The memory module includes a memory board with a first surface, a second surface and an edge with a set of electrical contacts. A transposer is attached to each surface of the memory board, and an interposer is attached to each transposer on the opposite surface of the transposer from the memory board. The interposer has space to allow placement of memory devices on both a first surface between the interposer and the memory board, and on a second surface of the interposer away from the memory board.

Claims (39)

1. A memory module comprising:

a memory board with a first side, a second side and an edge, the edge having a set of electrical contacts;

a first transposer with a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a first interposer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a first memory device and a second memory device wherein the first surface of the first transposer is attached to the first surface of the memory board, the second surface of the first transposer is attached to the first surface of the first interposer, and the first memory device and the second memory device are attached to the first surface of the first interposer;

a second transposer with a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a second interposer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a third memory device and a fourth memory device;

a fifth memory device attached to the second surface of the first interposer and a sixth memory device attached to the second surface of the second interposer; and

wherein:

the first surface of the second transposer is attached to the second surface of the memory board, the second surface of the second transposer is attached to the first surface of the second interposer, and the third memory device and the fourth memory device are attached to the first surface of the second interposer;

the first memory device is connected to a first contact of the set of electrical contacts via a first path along the memory board, the first transposer and the first interposer;

the second memory device is connected to a second contact of the set of electrical contacts via a second path along the memory board, the first transposer and the first interposer;

the third memory device is connected to a third contact of the set of electrical contacts via a third path along the memory board, the second transposer and second interposer; and

the fourth memory device is connected to a fourth contact of the set of electrical contacts via a fourth path along the memory board, the second transposer and second interposer.

2. The memory module of claim 1 , wherein the first transposer is between the first and the second memory devices and the second transposer is between the third and fourth memory devices.

3. The memory module of claim 2 further comprising a buffer material between the first memory device and the first surface of the memory board.

4. The memory module of claim 2 , wherein the memory board is a six layer printed circuit board with physical dimensions consistent with JEDEC standards for a DDR2 20 memory module.

5. The memory module of claim 2 , wherein the first contact and the third contact are the same.

6. The memory module of claim 2 , wherein the first and second memory devices and the transposer cover more than 90% of the first surface of the first interposer.

7. The memory module of claim 4 further comprising a seventh memory device attached to the second surface of the first interposer and an eighth memory device attached to the second surface of the second interposer.

8. The memory module of claim 7 , wherein the fifth memory device covers a surface area of the second surface of the first interposer directly opposite a surface area of the first surface of the first interposer covered by the first memory device.

9. The memory module of claim 8 , wherein each memory device is a dynamic random access memory chip.

10. The memory module of claim 8 , wherein each memory device is a flash memory chip.

11. The memory module of claim 1 , wherein the first surface of the memory board includes a heat dissipation layer which is proximate to or touching the first memory device and is configured to remove heat from the first memory device.

12. The memory module of claim 11 , wherein the heat dissipation layer comprises a copper layer.

13. The memory module of claim 1 further comprising one or more registers which enable access to the first, second, third and fourth memory modules.

14. The memory module of claim 1 , wherein the first surface and the second surface of the first transposer each contain an array of electrical contacts arranged in rows and columns.

15. A memory assembly for use with a DIMM comprising:

an interposer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a first memory device and a second memory device attached to the first surface of the interposer;

a third memory device and a fourth memory device attached to the second surface of the interposer; and

a transposer with a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface of the transposer is attached to the first surface of the interposer; and

a set of contact points on the second surface of the transposer;

wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth memory devices are electrically connected to one or more of the set of contact points on the second surface of the transposer by an electrical connection through the interposer and the transposer.

16. The memory assembly of claim 15 wherein the first and second memory devices are electrically connected to identical one or more contact points of the set of contact points.

17. The memory assembly of claim 15 wherein the first and second memory devices are electrically connected to different contact points of the set of contact points.

18. The memory assembly of claim 15 , wherein the transposer is between the first memory device and the second memory device.

19. The memory assembly of claim 16 , wherein the first memory device covers a surface area of the first surface of the interposer corresponding to a surface area of the second surface of the interposer covered by the third memory device wherein and the second memory device covers a surface area of the first surface of the interposer corresponding to a surface area of the second surface of the interposer covered by the fourth memory device.

Assignments (9)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 30, 2025
From: CREELED, INC.; PENGUIN SOLUTIONS CORPORATION (DE); SMART EMBEDDED COMPUTING, INC.; SMART HIGH RELIABILITY SOLUTIONS LLC; SMART MODULAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; PENGUIN COMPUTING, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 071755/0001 →
RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT R/F 058983/0001 Recorded Jun 25, 2025
From: CITIZENS BANK, N.A.
To: SMART MODULAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; SMART EMBEDDED COMPUTING, INC.; SMART HIGH RELIABILITY SOLUTIONS LLC; CREELED, INC.
Reel/Frame 071725/0207 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 7, 2022
From: SMART MODULAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; SMART HIGH RELIABILITY SOLUTIONS, LLC; SMART EMBEDDED COMPUTING, INC.; CREELED, INC.
To: CITIZENS BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 058983/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 033792 FRAME 0908 Recorded Feb 7, 2022
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
To: SMART MODULAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 058963/0725 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 7, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS AGENT
To: SMART MODULAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 058913/0385 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 23, 2020
From: SMART MODULAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 054738/0855 →
NOTICE OF SUCCESSION OF AGENCY Recorded Sep 22, 2014
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 033792/0908 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 26, 2011
From: SMART MODULAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 026818/0512 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 28, 2009
From: AMIDI, MIKE H.; PAULEY, ROBERT S.; IYER, SATYANARAYAN SHIVKUMAR
To: SMART MODULAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 023017/0137 →