180 A continuous drain, 55 V Vdss — power-train and load-switch fit
The NP179N055TUK-E1-AY: The NP179N055TUK--AY is a 55 V, 180 A N-channel MOSFET from Renesas, packaged in a TO-263-7 (D²PAK-7) for surface-mount assembly. Its 1.75 mOhm max Rds(on) at 90 A and 10 V gate drive sets a floor for conduction losses in high-current switching — in a 100 A motor-drive phase leg, that resistance dissipates roughly 17.5 W at full load, within the 288 W Tc power-dissipation ceiling.
AEC-Q101 automotive line — under-hood and chassis-domain deployment
Qualified per AEC-Q101, the NP179N055TUK--AY carries the temperature and reliability screening required for engine-bay, transmission, and chassis electronics. The 175 °C maximum operating temperature gives margin above the 125 °C ambient of a typical under-hood ECU — the die can handle the self-heating from the 1.8 W Ta dissipation without derating the load current. The 55 V Vdss rating sits comfortably above the 12 V and 24 V automotive bus voltages, covering load-dump transients that can spike to 40 V on a 12 V system. The ±20 V max gate-source rating means a standard 10 V gate drive from a pre-regulator or gate-driver IC stays well within the SOA.
Gate charge and capacitance — driver budget for fast switching
240 nC total gate charge at 10 V — this is the charge the driver must source to turn the FET fully on. For a 100 kHz switching frequency, the average gate-drive current needed is Qg × fsw = 24 mA, plus the shoot-through current during the Miller plateau. The 13950 pF input capacitance at 25 V Vds means the driver sees a capacitive load that slows the rise time; a driver with at least 2 A peak sink/source current keeps the switching edges under 100 ns.
TO-263-7 package — thermal and layout checklist
The TO-263-7 (D²PAK-7) has an exposed die-attach paddle on the bottom — the thermal pad must be soldered to a copper island on the PCB, with vias down to an inner-layer or backside plane to pull heat into the board. The 288 W Tc dissipation assumes the case temperature is held at 25 °C; in a real 85 °C ambient, the effective continuous current derates per the RthJC curve in the product drawing.
Active lifecycle — no NRND or EOL risk
Renesas lists the NP179N055TUK--AY as Active. ROHS3 compliant — no exemptions expiring. The part is suitable for both new-design insertion and existing BOM sustainment without a migration timeline.