Swept-Wavelength Spectroscopy System

Maryland

11/18/2024 04:07 PM EST

12/02/2024 03:30 PM EST

Title: Sources Sought Notice for Swept-Wavelength Spectroscopy System

BACKGROUND

The semiconductor supply chain is global, specialized, and interconnected. Chipmakers do business with thousands of individual suppliers that provide the highly complex materials and tools used to produce semiconductors. To address the lack of full visibility into the semiconductors markets supply chain and R&D ecosystem gaps NIST will conduct the measurement science, or metrology, critical to the development of new materials, packaging, and production methods in chip manufacturing.  

The CHIPS Metrology Program at NIST advances metrology for accelerating R&D and for developing breakthroughs that support the development of the next-generation microelectronics and ensure the competitiveness and leadership of the United States. The Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division develops micro-/nano-fabrication technologies, devices and novel measurement methods enabled by integrated microsystems.

The research work of the Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division as part of the CHIPS metrology program has a requirement for a swept wavelength spectroscopy system to help develop advanced measurement methods and test structures for integrated photonics manufacturing. The need is for a calibrated, broadly tunable swept-wavelength laser system across the telecommunication S, C, and L bands. The system must have adequate overall tuning range, spectral resolution, sweep linearity, power control, synchronized detection, and synchronized polarization control to enable complete characterization of photonic integrated circuit components such as resonators, waveguides, couplers, interferometers, and filters. The overall system will be used or spectral measurement of optical insertion loss and polarization dependent loss of the above components. In addition, the system will be used for component characterization at fixed optical wavelengths.

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: 

1. Laser system
   1. Wavelength coverage: at least 1450 nm -1650 nm
   2. Sweep speed: 200 nm/s or higher down to 1 nm/s
   3. Spectral resolution: 0.1 pm or better
   4. Laser linewidth: <10 kHz instantaneous (Lorentzian) linewidth
   5. Laser relative intensity noise (RIN): <-150 dB/Hz
   6. Side-mode suppression ratio: >60 dB across the full wavelength range
   7. Signal to source spontaneous emission ratio: >80 dB/nm
   8. Output power: >5 dBm across the full wavelength range
   9. Power flatness during a sweep: better than +/-0.25 dB during a nominally constant power sweep
   10. Absolute wavelength accuracy during a sweep: +/-1.5 pm or better
   11. Relative wavelength accuracy during a sweep: +/-1 pm or better
   12. Hardware triggering: analog trigger input and trigger output connections for initiating laser sweeping and synchronizing other equipment to the laser sweep
   13. Fixed wavelength operation: ability to tune to any wavelength within the range specified in 1.1 with an absolute wavelength accuracy that is +/-2 pm or better, a wavelength repeatability that is +/-0.5 pm or better, and a wavelength stability that is +/-0.5 pm across 24 hrs or better.
   14. Optical output: polarization maintaining single mode fiber or bulkhead connector for single mode fibers with FC/PC or FC/APC connectors
2. Optical attenuator
   1. Number of channels: four
   2. Attenuation wavelength range: at least 1260 nm – 1650 nm
   3. Attenuation range: at least 0 to 40 dB
   4. Attenuation resolution: 0.01 dB or finer
   5. Attenuation repeatability: +/-0.025 dB or better
   6. Blocking attenuation: The ability to block the output optical signal with at least 45 dB of attenuation must be provided.
   7. Insertion loss: < 2.5 dB
   8. Maximum input power: at least 27 dBm
   9. Power control option: must include integrated optical power monitoring to enable output power setting as well as attenuation setting. In power setting mode, the range of powers must be from -40 dBm to 20 dBm or wider
   10. Hardware triggering: Ability to run trigger attenuation sweeps using an external trigger input and provision of a trigger output to synchronize other equipment
   11. Optical input/output: bulkhead connectors for single mode fibers with FC/PC or FC/APC connectors
3. Polarization Control
   1. Wavelength coverage: at least 1260 nm – 1650 nm
   2. Output polarization control: arbitrary control of output polarization state across the full Poincare sphere for any arbitrary input polarization state within the Poincare sphere
   3. Polarization stabilizer: ability to maintain the output polarization state independent of changes to the independent polarization state
   4. Polarization switching: ability to switch between arbitrary polarization states across the full Poincare sphere at a >10 kHz rate
   5. Polarization scrambling: ability to randomly vary the state of polarization across the full Poincare sphere
   6. Output power sensitivity: as the state of polarization is changed, the output power should not change by more than 1 dB across the entire wavelength range
   7. Polarization analysis: Instrument can be used for polarization analysis with up to 1 million samples at a rate of 1 million samples per second
   8. Insertion loss: <5 dB
   9. Input power range: -30 dBm or lower up to 16 dBm or higher
   10. Hardware triggering: Ability to trigger polarization scrambling through an external trigger input
   11. Optical input/output: bulkhead connectors for single mode fibers with FC/PC or FC/APC connectors
4. Power meter
   1. Main wavelength range: at least 1260 – 1650 nm
   2. Extended wavelengths: extended wavelength sensitivity in the 800 nm – 900 nm range for use with alignment sources
   3. Number of channels: 4
   4. Power range: -80 dBm (or lower) up to 10 dBm (or higher)
   5. Averaging time: as low as 1 microsecond and as high as 10 seconds
   6. Analog bandwidth: as high as 250 kHz
   7. Data logging capability: 2 buffers for each channel and at least 1 million points per buffer
   8. Measurement uncertainty: +/- 5 % or better across the full wavelength range
   9. Hardware triggering: trigger input and output connections for synchronization with other equipment
   10. Analog output: an analog output connection for each power meter channel must be provided
   11. Optical input: bulkhead connectors for single mode fibers with FC/PC or FC/APC connectors
5. Optical switch
   1. Operating wavelength range: at least 1250 nm – 1650 nm
   2. Switch configuration: 1x4 switch for single mode optical fiber
   3. Number of channels: two channels (i.e., two independent 1x4 switches)
   4. Insertion loss: < 2 dB
   5. Switching time: <5 ms
   6. Cross talk: < - 70 dB
   7. Input power range: up to 23 dBm
   8. Repeatability: <0.01 dB
   9. Hardware triggering: Trigger input and output channels
   10. Optical input/output: bulkhead connectors for single mode fibers with FC/PC or FC/APC connectors
6. Equipment interface(s) and software
   1. Laser system (item 1), optical attenuator (item 2), polarization control (item 3), power meter (item 4), and optical switch (item 5) must be compatible with each other through hardware synchronization and software interfaces to enable wavelength-dependent insertion loss and polarization dependent loss measurements with all specifications listed above. Representative requirements include:
   2. The laser must come with a trigger output to the polarization synthesizer
   3. The polarization synthesizer must accept the laser trigger output and send its own trigger signal to the power meter
   4. The power meter must accept the polarization synthesizer trigger output (or laser trigger output, if the polarization synthesizer is not used) to synchronize its data logging with the laser sweep
   5. The insertion of the optical attenuator and/or optical switch in the system must incorporate their hardware triggering or otherwise not impact the above requirements
   6. The overall system must be computer-controlled with software provided to initiate measurements and record data. The software license must be perpetual
   7. Software must be provided to configure equipment and record data for:
   8. Wavelength-dependent insertion loss measurement at 0.1 pm spectral resolution. Sweep speed, sampling rate, and scan repetition are amongst the controls that must be offered
   9. Polarization-dependent loss measurements as a function of wavelength using the Muller matrix method and/or state-of-polarization scrambling. Software must provided automated analysis to calculate the polarization dependence through the device under test and provide output spectra corresponding to orthogonal polarization axes (e.g., corresponding to TE and TM polarizations for the device under test)
   10. Zeroing functions to measure dark signals and ensure accuracy of low power measurements
   11. Wavelength-dependent insertion loss measurements at a fixed state-of-polarization and 0.1 pm spectral resolution
   12. Application programming interface: an API including all relevant drivers and command sets through Python or Labview programming languages must be included to enable end user custom integration and automation.
7. Overall system must come with at least a 12 month warranty with options to extend the warranty up to three years

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 aforementioned 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 twelve (12) pages including all attachments, charts, etc.

Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request.