Sources Sought Notice for CHIPS High-Throughput High-Resolution X-ray Laminography/Tomography System for Advanced Packaged Semiconductor Devices and Substrates

Maryland

12/04/2024 09:07 AM EST

12/18/2024 11:00 AM EST

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) CHIPS Metrology program develops and advances cutting edge metrology capabilities for members of the US semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem.  This NIST conducted research program works with device manufacturers, tool vendors, materials suppliers, and other organizations to address critical metrology gaps to spur innovation within seven grand challenge areas.  For more information on CHIPS Metrology, please visit https://www.nist.gov/chips/research-development-programs/metrology-program

CHIPS Metrology researchers at NIST Gaithersburg require high-throughput high-resolution non-destructive three-dimensional (3D) X-ray imaging to support research within grand challenges for Advanced Metrology for Future Microelectronics Manufacturing, Enabling Metrology for Integrating Components in Advanced Packaging, and Standardizing New Materials, Processes, and Equipment for Microelectronics.  NIST anticipates procuring an X-ray laminography/tomography system and is seeking information from manufacturers capable of meeting the following needs:

1. Sample Types and Sizes
   1. Samples will be predominantly semiconductor wafers, panels, chips, test coupons, as well as advanced packaged devices, integrated circuit substrates, printed circuit board, and assemblies of these elements.
   2. Materials to be measured will include semiconductors, metals, insulators, and polymers.  Features of interest include hybrid bonded interfaces, through substrate vias, underfill and encapsulation epoxies, thermal interface materials, wafer reconstitution polymers, back end-of-line wiring, solder balls, glass substrate, fiber reinforced polymer substates, and the bonds and defects present in these features.
   3. Typical samples will be less than 120 mm × 120 mm × 20 mm.
   4. The instrument should be capable of scanning any defined set of regions of a 300 mm diameter substrate.
2. Sample Handling and Automation
   1. The system should offer sample handling automation for samples up to 120 mm × 120 mm × 20 mm:
      1. Instrument should accept a cassette of at least 5 samples.
      2. Instrument should load samples from the cassette, perform a specified measurement, and unload the sample back to the cassette.
   2. The instrument should accept larger samples up to 300 mm diameter × 20 mm tall, but there are no sample handling automation requirements for these samples (e.g. they can be loaded into the measurement by hand by the user)
   3. The instrument control software should allow for automation of measurements over many predefined regions of an individual sample.  The software should allow this automation to be saved to that it can repeated on the same sample after processing or to allow statistical sampling of different samples.
   4. The instrument control software should allow user access to custom stage motion and image acquisition.
3. Spatial Resolution and Scan Speed
   1. The system should be able to resolve 3D features with dimensions smaller than 1 µm with voxel sizes smaller than 250 nm in the highest resolution mode.  In this mode, the system should be capable of scanning at least 50 mm3/min with adequate signal-to-noise level to resolve 1 µm line and space patterns.
   2. The system should offer a survey imaging mode with scanning speeds of at least 250 mm3/min.
4. 3D Reconstruction and Data Analysis
   1. The supplied system must include 3D reconstruction hardware and software.
      1. Respondents should indicate if the supplied software can perform iterative reconstruction algorithms.
      2. Respondents should indicate if the reconstruction software provided allows reconstruction of data acquired in a different X-ray tomography system or of simulated data.
   2. The reconstruction software should be capable of automatically stitching together many data acquisition volumes to form a field of view with large extents (25 mm × 25 mm × 20 mm) and high spatial resolution (voxels smaller than 250 nm).
   3. The data analysis software should offer a variety of segmentation approaches including contrast based, geometric, and deep learning-based (e.g., neural net, u-net trained) methods.
   4. The provided software should be capable of enhancing contrast of low-density materials such as polymers using an algorithm such as phase retrieval.
5. Respondents should indicate whether their system operates using laminography, tomography, or is capable of operating in both modes.  If the system is capable of operating in both modes, please provide a description of the user actions required to change between modes, as well as the spatial resolutions and scan speeds of each mode.
6. NIST anticipates vendors offering installation, training, and service agreements with the instrument.
7. Note: NIST anticipates the high-throughput scan speeds and the planar nature of the sample to favor X-ray laminography systems; however, computed tomography instruments matching these capabilities are encouraged to reply.
   1. An X-ray computed laminography (XCL) system is defined as a system that measures projection images at an oblique angle to the axis of rotation and is capable of reconstructing projection data to 3D images. The tilt angle is the angle between the central X-ray beam and the axis of rotation.
   2. An X-ray computed tomography (XCT) system is defined as a system that measures projection images at 90 degrees to the axis of rotation and is capable of reconstruction projection data to 3D images.

NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that will achieve the objectives described above.

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 by 5 days after sources sought posting.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 10 pages including all attachments, charts, etc.

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