Embedded circuits

Douglas Hopkins

Dr. Hopkins teams up with other UB faculty to develop a new class of embedded circuits able to function in hostile, high-temperature environments. Where normal circuits are limited to 150 o C, advanced silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors now operate at 350 o C, making them useful for severe commercial and military applications.

              Sophisticated materials characterization and model development provide predictive reliability modeling of several circuit configurations developed by Dr. Hopkins. The electro-physical topology provides a dense, high temperature, and air-cooled circuit.

              By successfully mating a SiC device to a metalized composite, Dr. Hopkins and his collaborators are developing a circuit capable to endure repeated temperature shifts between -55 o C and +225 o C. The project is funded by the Naval Research Laboratory.