title: JIS semiconductor designation
text: # JIS semiconductor designation
  
  Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) has standard JIS-C-7012 for semiconductor part numbers. The first digit denotes the p-n junction count ("3" may also denote a dual-gate FET); then follows the letter "S", then:
  
  | 2nd letter | Type of semiconductor |
  | - | - |
  | <none> | Diode |
  | A | high frequency PNP BJTs |
  | B | audio frequency PNP BJTs |
  | C | high frequency NPN BJTs |
  | D | audio frequency NPN BJTs |
  | E | Diode |
  | F | Thyristor |
  | G | Gunn diode |
  | H | UJT |
  | J | P-channel FETs (both JFETs and MOSFETs) |
  | K | N-channel FETs (both JFETs and MOSFETs) |
  | M | TRIAC |
  | Q | LED |
  | R | Rectifier |
  | S | Signal diode |
  | T | Avalanche diode |
  | V | Varicap |
  | Z | Zener Diode |
  
  Then follows the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association's Electronic DEvice REgistration Center (JEITA-EDEREC)-assigned part number, optionally followed by suffixes (such as "A", "B", "C", or "R", "O", "BL", standing for "Red", "Orange", "Blue" etc.) to denote variants, such as tighter $h_{FE}$ (gain) groupings.
  
  Example: 2SD965, but sometimes the "2S" prefix is not marked on the package – a 2SD965 might only be marked "D965"; a 2SC1815 might be listed by a supplier as simply "C1815", thus possibly creating confusion with Pro Electron abbreviated markings, because a transistor marked "D965" might either be a 2SD965 or a BD965.
  
  