Typical lead times by supply channel
Lead time is driven less by shipping distance than by where single-crystal SiC is processed, how custom the geometry is, and whether you are buying through a distributor or direct from a qualified manufacturer.
| Channel | Catalog / standard geometry | Custom size or metallization |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese / European direct | 8–12 weeks | 12–16 weeks |
| US distributor (imported SiC) | 10–14 weeks | 14–18 weeks |
| Domestic US submount house | 6–10 weeks | 10–14 weeks (often premium pricing) |
| FerraLink (direct, ISO9001 supply) | 2–4 weeks | 2–4 weeks on standard stacks; custom per drawing |
For a US engineering team running a six-month lidar or RF module qualification, a 12–16 week substrate lead time consumes a large fraction of the schedule before die attach and reliability testing begin. FerraLink's 2–4 week standard lead time is structured so qualification lots arrive in the same sprint as header and window procurement.
MOQ and sample economics
Many SiC suppliers treat submounts as a production line item with MOQs of 100–500 pieces for custom metallization, and 50–100 even for catalog geometries. That works for high-volume automotive lidar — it does not work for a first article build or a design-of-experiments on die attach alloy and bond line thickness.
- Production MOQ (typical import channel): 100–500 pcs — full payment before qualification data exists.
- Distributor markup: often 15–30% on top of factory pricing, with the same MOQ constraints.
- FerraLink evaluation path: single-piece samples at $50 (standard part numbers), or a 10-piece box at $500 with material certification and lot traceability.
Standard FerraLink SiC part numbers (FL-SiC-005 through FL-SiC-035455-001) ship with the documentation US incoming inspection expects: EDS composition, SEM microstructure confirmation, and dimensional report. Details on the SiC submount product page.
Why SiC procurement is slower than ALN
Polycrystalline ALN has decades of laser-packaging supply chain maturity — multiple US and Asian sources, predictable MOQs, and 4–8 week lead times on common sizes. Single-crystal SiC for submount geometries is a smaller market segment:
- Upstream wafer capacity is oriented toward power electronics, not 0.5 × 0.5 mm laser submounts.
- Precision grinding, lapping, and Ti/Pt/Au metallization require substrate-specific process lines.
- Few suppliers bundle material certs with each lot — teams discover gaps at incoming inspection.
FerraLink sources from ISO9001 and IATF16949 certified manufacturers and holds inventory on standard geometries so US teams are not waiting on a distributor queue for every evaluation build.
What to plan for in your BOM timeline
| Phase | Traditional SiC channel | FerraLink |
|---|---|---|
| Sample order to ship | 8–16 weeks | 2–4 weeks |
| Incoming inspection (EDS/SEM) | Often self-funded at customer | Included with lot documentation |
| Production ramp MOQ | 100–500 pcs | Negotiated after qualification — samples from 1 pc |
| Custom metallization (AuSn, Ti/Ni/Au) | New tooling + 12+ weeks | Drawing review + 2–4 weeks on repeat builds |
Qualification checklist before production PO
Before committing to a 100+ piece production order from any supplier, run the same incoming inspection on evaluation samples:
- EDS: Si and C peaks only — reject Al/N dominant spectra (wrong material).
- SEM: single-crystal facets, not polycrystalline grain mosaic.
- Surface: Ra ≤ 0.1 µm on bond pads; bow within die attach tolerance.
- Metallization: Ti/Pt/Au or Au/Sn thickness per drawing; adhesion on first article.
Frequently asked questions
What is a typical SiC submount lead time?expand_more
What MOQ do SiC submount suppliers require?expand_more
Related articles
Start SiC qualification this month
10-piece evaluation box — $500. Ships in 2–4 weeks with full material documentation.