Douglas C. Hopkins
He/Him/His

Biography
Prof. Hopkins' primary research areas are:
* Very high frequency, high density power electronic systems and packaging
* Extreme environment electronics, and related solid-state protection
* Organic-based circuits for power and energy systems, including high temperature(>300˚C) circuits integrated ceramics and metal matrix composites
Prof. Hopkins is with the Electrical and Computer Engineering at North Carolina State University, Director of the Laboratory for Packaging Research in Electronic Energy Systems (PREES), which is part of the NSF FREEDM Systems Center, and is an affiliate faculty member in the Center for Additive Manufacturing and Logistics CAMAL. He has over 20 years of academic and industrial experience focused on high-frequency, high density power electronics with emphasis on packaging. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech, and spent his early career at the R&D centers of GE and Carrier Air-Conditioning Companies in advanced power electronics systems for military and commercial applications. He has published nearly 200 articles including book chapters, journal and conference papers, a number recognized with awards. He founded and chaired the joint EPS (CPMT)/PELS Technical Committee on Power Electronics Packaging from 1997-2005, and is a present committee member. He is an IMAPS Fellow and member of the IMAPS Executive Council.
Prof Hopkins held Visiting Faculty appointments with the Army, NASA, and the Ohio Space Institute. He was co-founder of DensePower, LLC, and conducts expert witness activities through DCHopkins & Associates, LLC. Further information is available from www.DCHopkins.com
Education
-
Ph.D.
1989
Electrical Engineering
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg
Research Focus
- Power Electronics and Power Systems
- Electronic Energy Systems Packaging
- Power Electronics
Expert In
Power Electronics Packaging
Funded Research
- FSA — Fabrication of a High Power Capacitor Tester (HPCT) for Advanced Capacitor Testing
- FSA: HENKEL Material Testing Services
- “Demonstration of a Medium Voltage Power Module for High Density Conversion” Task 4.6:Pwr Amer-Hopkins- BP-2
- Highly Robust Integrated Power Electronics Packaging Technology
- PV Inverter Systems Enabled by Monolithically Integrated SiC based Four Quadrant Power Switch (4-QPS)
Involvement
-
IEEE Power Electronics Society - Technical Committee on Power Components, Integration, and Power ICs (TC2)
Member -
IEEE Power Electronics Society - Technical Committee on Emerging Power Electronic Technologies (TC-6)
Member -
Int'l Microelectronic Packaging & Assembly Society (IMAPS) - Executive Council
Director -
IMAPS Int'l Advanced Power Electronics Packaging Symp (APEPS 2022)
General Chair -
IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics-JESTPE
Assoc Editor -
ASME Journal of Electronics Packaging; IEEE Trans. on: 1. Aerospace and Electronic Systems, 2. Advanced Packaging , 3. Components and Packaging Technologies, 4. Industrial Electronics, 5. Power Electronics.
Journal Reviewer
Awards & Honors
- 2021 - Cert. of Appreciation as Founder and General Chair, Int'l Symp on Advanced Power Electronics and Packaging Systems (APEPS)
- 2016 - Cert. of Appreciation as Founder and General Chair, Int'l Symp on 3D Power Electronics Integration and Manufacturing (3D-PEIM)
- 2013 - "Outstanding Educator Award" - International Microelectronics and Packaging Society
- 2007 - Fellow – International Microelectronics and Packaging Society (IMAPS)
- 2001 - "Outstanding Contribution to Education, Research and Professionalism," IEEE – Region I
- 1999 - IEEE Third Millennium Medal recipient
- 1992 - Senior Member – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Recent News

New Tech Promises to Boost Electric Vehicle Efficiency, Range
Posted on September 15, 2016 | Filed Under: Faculty and Power and Research
Researchers in NC State’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering’s FREEDM Systems Center have developed a new type of inverter device with greater efficiency in a smaller, lighter package – which should improve the fuel-efficienc …

Successful Inaugural 3D-PEIM Symposium
Posted on August 22, 2016 | Filed Under: Events and News
A true success – on June 13-15, 2016, over 80 participants, 11 from outside the US, attended the 1st International Symposium on 3D Power Electronics Integration and Manufacturing (www.3D-PEIM.org) in Raleigh, North Carolina. The symposium o …
Recent Publications
- 3-D Prismatic Packaging Methodologies for Wide Band Gap Power Electronics Modules (2021)
- A 40kV/mm Organic Substrate for Low Voltage Power SiP and >10kV Power Modules (2021)
- A New Cascaded SuperCascode High Voltage Power Switch (2021)
- Accessible & Adaptable Approach for Calculating the Thermal Resistance of a Power Package using ParaPower (2021)
- Advanced Dual-Sided Half-bridge Packaging with Epoxy Insulated Metal Substrates (eIMS) (2021)
- Advances in Highly Thermally Conductive Organic Power Packaging (2021)
- Analytical Method to Optimize the Cascaded SuperCascode Power Switch Balancing Network (2021)
- Bidirectional Solid-State Circuit Breaker using Super Cascode for MV SST and Energy Storage Systems (2021)
- Comparison of the Capacitances and Switching Losses of 1.2 kV Common-Source and Common-Drain Bidirectional Switch Topologies (2021)
- Design and Characterization of 3.3 kV-15 kV rated DBC Power Modules for Developmental Testing of WBG devices (2021)