The current SiC price decline comes mainly from a wave of new substrate and device capacity. 6-inch utilisation has fallen, 8-inch is ramping, and quotes for SiC MOSFETs and Schottky diodes are noticeably softer than two years ago.
Cheaper does not mean interchangeable. Automotive (AEC-Q101) and industrial grades differ in wafer screening, test coverage and batch traceability, while the package and part number often look identical. Filling an automotive gap with industrial-channel material ships product short term and creates quality and compliance exposure long term.
State the application and certification requirement in the RFQ so quotes come back at the right grade; keep factory or authorised-channel records for critical power devices; and treat independent distribution as a lead-time backstop only, with batch and traceability data attached.