Douglas C. Hopkins
Research Professor, Dir. PREES Lab
Biography
Prof. Hopkins' Primary Research Areas:
• Very High-Frequency, Ultra-High-Density power electronic systems, Integrated Power Electronics*, Wide Band Gap (WBG: GaN & SiC) devices, and Advanced Packaging**
• Solid-State Protection (e.g. SSCBs) and Harsh-Environment power electronics (e.g. automotive and military)
* IEEE/EPS Heterogeneous Integration Roadmap (HIR) Chapter 10 - "Integrated Power Electronics"
** Power electronics packaging, organic- and ceramic-based circuits, high temperature(>300˚C) circuits integrated ceramics and metal matrix composites
Professor Hopkins has been with the ECE Department since 2011, is Director of the Laboratory for Packaging Research in Electronic Energy Systems (PREES), part of the FREEDM Systems Center, and is an affiliate faculty with the Center for Additive Manufacturing and Logistics (CAMAL). He received his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech (1989). He has held Visiting Faculty appointments with the Army, NASA, Lawrence Livermore, and the Ohio Space Institute, was a reviewer with the Nat’l Academy of Science. His early career was at the R&D centers of General Electric and Carrier Air-Conditioning companies, and has had numerous consulting projects with Emerson, Grundfos, Eaton, and Verizon among others. He co-founded DensePower, LLC as president and CTO, and has published over 200 journal and conference articles, and conference tutorials and workshops.
Dr. Hopkins founded/cofounded the: IEEE EPS/PELS joint Power Packaging Committee (1994), Int’l Wksp on Integrated Power Packaging (IWIPP, 1998), IEEE/IMAPS/PSMA “Int’l Symp. on 3D Power Electronics Integrations and Manufacturing” (3D-PEIM, 2016), and the IMAPS “International Symposium on Advanced Power Electronics Packaging (APEPS, 2021). He received the IMAPS Outstanding Educator Award (2013), is an IMAPS Fellow (2007) and member of the IMAPS Executive Council (2019-2021). He also chairs the EPS Power & Energy TC (2022-).
Prof Hopkins also conducts engineering consulting and 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
Recent Publications
- Co-Design and ML-Based Optimization of Through-Via in Silicon and Glass Interposers for Electronic Packaging Applications (2025)
- A 400W, 250kHz (2kW Peak) Integrated GaN Half Bridge Power Module in a Non-Isolated Buck Converter (2024)
- FET Junction Temperature Monitoring Using Novel On-Chip Solution (2024)
- Investigation of High Current Fine Grain Power Delivery for 3-D Heterogeneous Integration (2024)
- Advanced GaN IPM for High-Frequency Converter Applications Enabled with Thin-Substrates (2023)
- Analysis and Characterization of Four-quadrant Switches based Commutation Cell (2023)
- Bidirectional Three-phase Current Source Converter based Buck-boost AC/DC System using Bidirectional Switches (2023)
- Design & Integration of Solid-State Circuit Protection (2023)
- Double Sided Integrated GaN Power Module with Double Pulse Test (DPT) Verification (2023)
- Finite Element Analysis and Fatigue Life Prediction of A Laterally Conducting Gan-Based Power Package Under Thermal CyclingASME 2023 Int’l Mechanical Eng. Congress and Exposition (2023)
Expert In
Power Electronics Packaging , Microfabrication , Finite Element Modeling
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
Member -
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 -
3D-Power Electronic Integration and Manufacturing Symposium
Cofounder -
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
NC State Research Team Wins ASME Award for Pioneering Work on GaN-Based Power Package
Posted on November 10, 2023 | Filed Under: Awards and Grad Students and News and Research
A team from NC State won the Student Innovative Paper Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) in the Microelectromechanical Engineering Division at the 2023 International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Expositi …
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 …