Sources Sought Notice for Confocal Raman Microscope Spectrometer
The purpose of this sources sought notice is to conduct market research and identify potential sources of commercial products/services that satisfy the Government’s anticipated needs.
BACKGROUND
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Materials Measurement Laboratory, Materials Science and Engineering Division (https://www.nist.gov/mml/materials-science-and-engineering-division) is on the market for a confocal Raman microscope spectrometer for advanced analysis of interfaces relevant to computer chip manufacturing. This instrument is necessary for efforts to better understand the electrochemical processes at play during the fabrication of microelectronics interconnects ranging from on-chip metallizations to through silicon vias for chip stacking to advanced packaging applications. To understand feature filling requires techniques that map the local surface chemistry across patterned wafers during the fabrication of 3D interconnects. The filling of patterned trenches and vias proceed by superconformal filling process that proceeds by surfactant mediated film growth. Further advances and optimization in the use of these processes require knowledge of the identity, coverage and function of the relevant surfactants. Advanced spectroscopic methods are central to providing this information. Specifically, plasmonic assisted process such as Raman vibrational spectroscopy are particularly important means to investigate such surfaces. The use of shell isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS) coupled with confocal microscopy is a method of central importance to enabling the mapping of surface chemistry of smooth as well as lithographically patterned surfaces. Central to realizing this advance form of advanced Raman spectroscopy is a confocal microscopy with appropriate lasers, optics and detector technology. Below is a list of minimum technical specifications that are necessary to enable; the proper plasmonic stimulation of metals of interest, spectral window necessary for the planned chemical fingerprints, temporal resolution to observe chemical events in real time, and spatially resolution to map specific chemical events to given physical features across the specimen.
NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that will achieve the objectives described above, in addition to the following essential requirements:
- Lasers
- System must accommodate at least four lasers with the following installed:
- ≥ 190 mW, 532 nm or equivalent
- ≥ 15 mW, 633 nm or equivalent
- ≥ 90 mW 785 nm or equivalent
- Automated laser power control between 100% and 0.01%
- Motorized exchange of excitation wavelengths
- Microscope
- Objectives
- At least equipped with 5x, 10x, 50x, 50x LWD (~1 cm working distance), 100x
- Motorized xy stage
- ≤ 1 micron accuracy, minimum step size ≤ 50 nm in XY
- Z resolution of ≤ 10 nm
- Macro accessory for cuvette and free space measurements
- 90-degree manipulation of laser
- Open Platform
- The system needs an open-frame microscope platform, with the objective turret moving in z rather than the stage to accommodate large electrochemical cells.
- Real-time focus capabilities
- The system should enable Fast Auto-focus in video mode which is not making use of a laser in the center of the live video, because it disturbs visualization of small features and might deteriorate fragile samples by local heating or modify photosensitive samples.
- Extended Z focus capabilities
- Z-stack images within the objective field of view in ≤ 20 s.
- Spectrometer
- 1” CCD Camera capable of at least 200 nm to 1100 nm range.
- At least two automatically controlled gratings near 600 gr/mm and 1800 cm gr/mm
- All reflective optics (Czerney-Turner spectrograph)
- Avoids achromatic aberrations.
- A focal length of at least 800 mm to enable a spectral dispersion equal to or better than 0.35 cm⁻¹/pixel for a 633 nm-1 laser and 1800 gr/mm.
- Half Wave Plates for laser polarization
- Visible half wave plate with range ≥ (400 nm to 700 nm)
- NIR half wave plate range ≥ (700 nm to 1100 nm)
- Quarter Wave Plates on the laser path
- Vis range ≥ (400 nm to 700 nm)
- NIR range ≥ (700 nm to 1100 nm)
- Polarization Analyzers/Scramblers
- VIS/NIR Analyzer 500 nm to 1000 nm or equivalent
- Fixed scrambler 230 nm to 2500 nm or equivalent
- Enables complete depolarization of Raman signal
- Automated motorized plates with ≤ 1° control
- Internal sample reference for intensity and spectral correction
- Ultra-low frequency capability
- Bandpass and notch filters at 633 nm (or equivalent) for ultra-low frequency measurements ≤ 10 cm-1.
- XY piezo scanner capable of laser probing sample areas without moving the stage
- At 50 x magnification able to probe ≥ 25 µm x 25 µm
- Able to achieve YZ mapping for sample planes perpendicular to the XY sample stage.
- Software
- Z-Stack Stitching and 3D Mapping Stitching: The system must include software capable of Z-stack stitching, allowing the creation of 3D topography maps. The stitching should support nm-scale resolution in the axial (Z) direction. This functionality will enable high-resolution imaging and mapping of large samples with uneven or patterned surfaces.
- Optional Features:
- ~30 mW, 405 nm laser or equivalent
- ~30 mW, 473 nm laser or equivalent
- 100x LWD objective (~ 1 cm working distance)
- Equivalent ULF filter for the 532 nm laser
- 300 gr/mm grating
- Class 1 microscope enclosure
- Raman calibration objective
- Enabling calibration with sample still under objective turret
- Motorized objective turret
HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE
In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response: Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice. Please note that to be considered for award under any official solicitation, the entity must be registered and “active” in SAM at the time of solicitation response.
- Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).
- Identify the equipment that your company sells that can meet the objectives addressed in the BACKGROUND section of this notice. For each product recommended to meet the Government’s requirement, provide the following:
- Manufacturer name
- Model number
- Technical specifications
- If your company is not the manufacturer, provide information on your company’s status as an authorized reseller of the product(s)
- Describe performance capabilities of the product(s) your company recommends to meet the Government’s requirements. Additionally, if there are other features or functions that you believe would assist NIST in meeting its objectives described above, please discuss in your response.
- Discuss whether the equipment that your company sells and which you describe in your response to this notice may be customized to specifications and indicate any limits to customization.
- Identify any aspects of the NIST market research notice, including instructions, and draft minimum specifications in the BACKGROUND section you cannot meet and state why. Please offer suggestions for how the market research notice and draft minimum specifications could be made more competitive.
- State whether the proposed equipment is manufactured in the United States and, if not, state the name of the country where the equipment is manufactured.
- Identify any plans/possibilities for changes in manufacturing location of the aforementioned equipment and provide relevant details, including timeline.
- For the NAICS code listed in this notice:
- Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business. See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.
- If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement.
- Describe services that are available with the purchase of the equipment from your company such as installation, training, and equipment maintenance.
- Describe standard terms and conditions of sale offered by your company for the recommended equipment such as: delivery time after your company accepts the order; FOB shipping terms; manufacturer warranty (including details regarding nature and duration); if available, description(s) of available extended warranty; equipment setup and test; operator and service instruction manual(s); cleanup after installation; and if applicable, other offered services. Provide a copy of manufacturer standard terms and conditions that typically relate to the sale of the specified equipment, if available.
- State whether your company offers facility renovation services related to installation of the recommended equipment at its delivery destination, if required per the NIST-identified minimum specifications, and provide description of said services. Indicate if your company performs the facility renovation services or typically subcontracts the work to another company. Indicate if your company would be interested in inspecting the intended installation site during the market research phase.
- State published price, discount, or rebate arrangements for recommended equipment and/or provide link to access company’s published prices for equipment and services.
- If the recommended equipment and related services are available for purchase on any existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts against which NIST may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.
- Identify any customers in the public or private sectors to which you provided the recommended or similar equipment. Include customer(s) information: company name, phone number, point of contact, email address.
- Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for NIST to know as part of its market research for this requirement.
- State if you require NIST to provide additional information to improve your understanding of the government’s requirement and/or would like to meet with NIST representatives to discuss the requirement and the capabilities of the identified equipment.
QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE
Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received 5 days prior to the response date. If the Contracting Officer determines that providing a written amendment to this notice to document question(s) received would benefit other potential respondents, the questions would be anonymized, and a written response to such question(s) would be provided via an amendment to this notice.
IMPORTANT NOTES
This notice is for market research purposes and should not be construed as a commitment by NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. There is no solicitation available at this time.
This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response.
NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate.
Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s capability.
Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.
After a review of the responses received, a synopsis and solicitation may be published on GSA’s eBuy or SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered an adequate response to any such solicitation(s).
The responses shall not exceed 12 pages including all attachments, charts, etc.
Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request.
