SOLICITATION NOTICE
61 -- FOLLOW-ON RESEARCH FOR SILICON STM METROLOGY
- Notice Date
- 7/25/2007
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 611310
— Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Acquisition Management Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301, Room B129, Mail Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899-1640, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- SB1341-07-RP-0049
- Response Due
- 7/27/2007
- Archive Date
- 8/11/2007
- Description
- The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate a firm fixed price purchase order. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 13.5, Test Program for Certain Commercial Items as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The Solicitation Number is SB1341-07-RP-0049; the solicitation is issued as a Request for Quote (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular Number 2005-17. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this solicitation is 611310, and the size standard is 1000 employees. (For size standards go to: htttp://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html) The National Institute of Standards and Technology has a requirement for technical support services described below. The Performance Work Statement is as follows: PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT I. Background The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is providing technological leadership to semiconductor and equipment manufacturers and other government agencies by developing the methods, tools, and artifacts needed to apply leading edge, high-resolution atom-based dimensional measurement methods to meet the metrology needs of semiconductor microlithography well as nanolithography needs of nanomanufacturing. One specific goal is to provide the American industry with the techniques and standards needed to make traceable dimensional measurements on wafers and other artifacts with nanometer accuracy. The NIST Precision Engineering Division is developing three-dimensional structures of controlled geometry whose dimensions can be measured and traced directly to the intrinsic crystal lattice. These samples are intended to be dimensionally stable to allow transfer to other measurement tools which can measure the artifacts with dimensions known on the nanometer scale. This requirement is for research and the development of specific elements of the Atom based Dimensional Metrology project. The requirement is for expertise in the development of the metrology techniques and sample preparation at the atomic scale. This requirement will require expertise in several key elements of scientific and hardware associated with imaging silicon at the atomic scale, modifying silicon surfaces and preparing silicon substrates for atomic scale imaging and modification II. Scope of the Work The key elements of the research and deliverables are focused on the development of metrology techniques for nanomanufacturing and fabrication techniques for the nanolithography of atom-based standards, and metrology based on atomic scale imaging. The contractor shall develop advanced sample preparation for ultra-high vacuum measurement of the crystal lattices in silicon surfaces as prepared using wet chemical methods and high temperature processing. This aspect of the research contract, and specifically the silicon surface preparation and silicon step flow dynamics work depends on the extensive expertise of the contractor. The contractor must also maintain and develop NIST?s wet chemistry methods for preparing silicon wafer samples with atomically flat and ordered surfaces. This project and its deliverables require a detailed understanding of the surface preparation and hydrogen termination physics of silicon surfaces which enables repeatable sample preparation and development of nanometer scale lithography. This work is intended to enable new metrology methods for semiconductor manufacturing and nanometer-scale fabrication. The work in this contract is for the development of atom-based line width standards to assist in the calibration of line width metrology tools which can be used in conjunction with accurately measured tips to measure feature critical dimensions. This research is intended to enable the accurate counting of atom spacing?s across a feature in a controlled environment and to subsequently transfer that artifact to other measuring instruments as a structure with atomically known dimensions. An essential element of this project is the fabrication of test artifacts and structures for the development of high resolution imaging methods. It is imperative to enable fabrication methods for sub-10 nm sized features. Several recent developments in optical microscopy, scatterometry and scanning electron microscopy metrology require test samples with critical dimensions below 10 nm. These test structures are simply not available at this time. In this fabrication effort NIST is developing the methods for fabrication of sub-10 nm sized features and etching methods to transfer these patterns into the silicon substrates. This requirement is to maintain and develop a new ultra high vacuum scanning tunneling microscope (UHV STM) system. There are several key components which have been installed on this new system and their operation needs further verification. The new system components are commercially available hardware such as the sample heater and tip processing station mounted in the UHV environment which has LEED and Auger surface analysis capabilities. The completion of this work includes the verification of alignment for the transfer mechanism for sample and tip transfer. The new atomic resolution STM has a coarse positioning system and an in situ optical setup allowing tip positioning with respect to the sample. The STM system needs performance verification and implementation for positioning silicon samples with etched features or prepared surfaces in appropriate positions within the STM field of view. III. Specific Tasks: I. The contractor shall use the optical vision system and capture images with the vision system as directly mounted on the STM vacuum facility. The system shall have the capability to see and acquire vision-based images of the STM tip on approach and on nominal relative position of the tip and sample. The contractor shall use the appropriate samples supplied by NIST to demonstrate this capability in the standard operation of this UHV tunneling microscope. This will include evaluation of STM calibration. The contractor shall demonstrate STM and vision system resolution for target positioning and imaging. The contractor shall test and demonstrate the operational alignment and positioning system to enable the tunneling measurement process in the desired target area. This is accomplished by verifying the installed positioning components. Verification and demonstration of STM imaging performance at the atomic scale on silicon samples. The contractor shall provide images and data verifying the system performance. The contractor shall perform the standard UHV vacuum testing procedures and nitrogen testing procedures used throughout the UHV industry to ensure the vacuum system does not leak to the 10-10 torr level. II. The contractor shall characterize, and calibrate the atomic resolution imaging capability. The contractor shall demonstrate and acquire atomic resolution images on silicon and wet chemistry prepared samples which verify system performance. This system shall be tested and evaluated by the contractor in the existing UHV STM environment to ensure performance of the entire system and an acceptable electronic noise floor and vibration floor. The contractor shall perform STM measurements with the high temperature sample preparation capability which will enable atomic resolution of silicon samples. The contractor shall verify sample and tip preparation using this approach. The contractor shall image the atomically resolved surfaces and attempt atom counting dimensional measurements. A detailed evaluation and report of atom counting results shall be provided by the contractor. III. The contractor shall develop improved nanofabrication methods, which yield smaller feature sizes than previously fabricated, which are based on the STM methods in a vacuum environment. The key deliverable in this work is the development of wet chemistry methods for silicon processing and lithography on the nanometer scale and their subsequent etching. The deliverable will be a methodology for preparing hydrogen the surfaces as described and for a specific and operational etching technique which has an improved set of etching parameters to extend the lithography technique to beyond sub-10 nm. The contractor shall develop processing methods to enable etching of silicon features at the sub-10 nm dimension. The actual patterning results using STM written features will be treated with subsequent external etching by reactive ion etching (RIE). This work involves the contractor writing features on silicon substrates through the removal of hydrogen from the hydrogen terminated surfaces. The removal of hydrogen atoms and exploration to improve the understanding of this nanofabrication process is an essential part of this phase. It is a key aspect of this section to extend the work to the atomic domain using modified silicon surfaces with features written through the removal of hydrogen bonds. After completion of the lithography process, the contract shall investigate a technique for the etch mask formation and RIE etching process. The contractor may use an alternative etch mask using alternative termination chemistries such as alcohol bonding. This aspect will require researching and developing a strategy to create alternative surface lithography chemistry. The main approach is the improved surface terminations t the atomic scale and subsequent developed of surface preparation and etch mask creation at the atomic scale. The contractor may use an alternative surface termination in this portion of the effort. IV. The contractor shall publish the results of the nanofabrication and atom counting research in the appropriate scientific forum, such as Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology (JVST) or Applied Physics Letters. The completion of the above development of nanofabrication methods shall be published in the appropriate scientific forums such as the JVST or The Journal of Applied Physics. Upon completion of the contract, results shall be provided to NIST for presentation material at one International Sematech metrology workshop. Also, the contractor shall provide support by means of complete documentation of the data and images and figures of the work completed under this contract for use in any related publications by NIST staff, which arises from the development of and research into silicon surface preparation, silicon step and terrace surface dynamics and nanofabrication. The contractor shall make available modeling and results showing silicon surface preparation methods which account for the understanding of surface defects encountered in creating suitable atomically flat and ordered silicon surfaces. IV. Deliverables and Reports: I. The contractor shall provide images from the optical vision system showing the capability to image relative tip and sample positions on the UHV STM by electronic version .jpg format. These results will include calibration of the vision system within a given field of view. The contractor shall use the silicon samples supplied by NIST for evaluation of the atomic resolution operation of the UHV tunneling microscope. The contractor shall test the STM imaging capabilities at the NIST Precision Engineering Laboratory, Building 219, and Room A016, based on the W tips provided by NIST. The contractor shall deliver a summary of W tip performance required for atomic resolution imaging of features. The report shall include STM performance evaluation and required procedures used for all wet chemistry and STM imaging conditions. II. The contractor shall verify performance of the completed atomic resolution imaging system. The contractor shall demonstrate the use of sample and tip positioning and subsequent images and data verifying the system performance. The contractor shall deliver a summary of atomic resolution images on silicon samples and deliver imaging results from low temperature prepared silicon samples based on the wet chemistry approach. These images and data will verify tool performance on an atomic scale. These results covered in the summary will include imaging and atom counting techniques which demonstrate the tools capability of atomic resolution imaging for dimensional metrology. III. The contractor shall deliver a report which documents improved nanofabrication using the STM methods in a vacuum environment. A documented methodology and recipe for improved wet chemistry methods applied at the atomic scale for atomic domain fabrication on silicon substrates and their subsequent etching. The contractor shall provide a summary report of the imaging conditions required to image with atomic resolution the low temperature prepared silicon surfaces which have not been raised to reconstruction temperatures. The contractor shall document the advanced silicon processing methods used to meet the contract deliverables. The contractor shall develop and document processing methods to enable fabrication and the delineation of features at the atomic and nanometer scale in silicon substrates. A detailed presentation summarizing the evaluation of any alternative etch mask chemistries shall be presented and the data made available to NIST staff. IV. The contractor shall publish the results of the nanofabrication research in the appropriate forums. The contractor shall provide to NIST WERB approved advance copies of the results and publication material as they are going to appear in the appropriate forums. The completion of the above development of nanofabrication methods should be published in the appropriate scientific journals to include presentation at recognized scientific forums. V. Due Dates. The contractor shall provide interim reports on a monthly basis for each of the IV sections of the contract which summarize all aspects of the requirement by email. The first deliverable shall be due at 6 months and the final three requirements shall be deliverable at 1 year contract completion. On a bi-monthly basis the interim reports shall include data which comprehensively demonstrates the progress on the requirements. VI. Furnished property: The Government will furnish a desk and a computer for the contractor to work. The contractor shall have access to a phone and email as required. All of the UHV vacuum supplies and instrumentation will be provided by NIST. The Government will provide software and data analysis tools as required. The NIST will provide all samples, chemicals and related materials for the contractor to complete their research and deliverables laid out in the contract. VII. Performance Requirement Summary a. The desired outputs are specifically mentioned and covered in detail in the tasks sections and deliverables sections. The global deliverables are 2 separate operating systems with the accompanying images and data as described in the deliverables. Further, a prime deliverable is the documentations summarizing the etching results. b. Details for the required service which must be accomplished to achieve each desired output are covered in detail in the tasks sections and deliverables sections. c. The contractor shall deliver the full functionality as described in the deliverables. The contractor performance will be based on advancing current fabrication at the atomic scale domain. The system performance will be based tip sample positioning and images with better than 3 to 1 signal to noise level acceptance factor. d. The quality level will again be based on performing the tasks at the acceptable values in the above text which comprehensively and completely achieve the tasks. The quality of documentation and presentation material will be based on WERB approval acceptance for publication in the above described journals. e. The specific goals and numbers or levels of performance have been outlined in the tasks and deliverables sections. These images and numbers will be used to verify contract performance. *** DELIVERY SHALL BE F.O.B. DESTINATION *** to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301 Shipping and Receiving, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING AN OFFER: 1. The offer MUST include a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications?Commercial Items, with their offer. This provision, as well as all other FAR clauses, is accessible on the Internet at: http://www.acqnet.gov/far under ?Current FAR? in either .html format or .pdf format. 2. The offer MUST include detailed specifications and any other relevant technical data in accordance with the attached PWS, 3. The Offeror MUST provide at least three (3), but preferably five (5), past performance references for SIMILAR contracts/orders completed within the past 3 years (or which are currently being completed), to include the name of the customer organization, a named point of contact in that organization that is familiar with the contract/order from a technical or contractual standpoint, their phone number, their email address, and their fax number; 4. List of assumptions made, if applicable, by the Offeror in submitting the quote that relate to Contractor performance after award. EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD: Award will be made using Simplified Acquisition Procedures under FAR Subpart 13.5, Test Program for Certain Commercial Items. The provision at FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation--Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: 1) Approach: a) Expertise in scanning tunneling microscopy as applied to silicon surfaces and expertise in silicon surface preparation. b) Demonstrate ability to prepare silicon surfaces atomically flat and to show the ability to process, prepare and measure atomically flat Si 111 surfaces. c) Demonstrate expertise and ability to prepare and operate ultra high vacuum systems with applications in scanning tunneling microscopy. d) Ability to operate and have expertise in Omicron UHV vacuum scanning tunneling microscope (STM) imaging systems. 2) Past Performance information: Evaluation of quality of service will be based on references from previous businesses or agencies to which similar services have been provided within the last three years. The Quotter must demonstrate ability in preparing silicon surfaces using wet chemical processing methods which result in atomically flat and ordered step and terrace silicon surfaces. 3) Evaluated price: Price shall be firm-fixed price for each document. Any discounts offered to the Government shall be identified. Non-price evaluation factors (1), and (2) are approximately equally important, and non-price evaluation factors, collectively, are approximately equally important to evaluated price. A Firm-Fixed-Price purchase order shall be awarded to the responsible Quotter whose offer, conforming to the solicitation, is determined to be most advantageous to the Government, evaluated price and other factors considered. To be eligible for award, an offeror must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). Information on CCR registration procedures may be obtained at http://www.ccr.gov. In order to complete CCR registration, a DUNS number is required. To obtain a DUNS Number, contact Dun & Bradstreet, Inc., at 1-866-705-5711 or 610-882-7000. Questions regarding this solicitation must be sent by EMAIL ONLY to myrsonia.lutz@nist.gov. Any amendments to this solicitation will be posted at www.fedbizopps.gov only and will not be released by other means to potential Quotters. The following provisions and clauses shall apply to this solicitation. FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors - Commercial applies to this acquisition and there is no addenda to this provision; FAR 52,212-2, Evaluation - Commercial Items. The Government shall award a purchase order resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Quotter whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The provision at FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors?Commercial items, applies to this solicitation. The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions?Commercial Items, applies to this solicitation. The clause at FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders?Commercial items, applies to this acquisition. The aforementioned FAR provisions cited in FAR 52.212-5 apply to this solicitation: 52.222-3; 52.222-19; 52.222-21; 52.222-26; 52.222-36; 52.225-3 ALTERNATIVE I; 52.225-13; 52.232-33. The following additional clause applies to this solicitation: 52.204-7. Conditions - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and there is no addenda to this provision; FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition; FAR 52.204-9, Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel; FAR 52.227-14, Rights in Data - General. INTERESETED QUOTTERS ARE INVITED TO PROVIDE AN ELECTRONIC RESPONSE TO BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2007; 03:00:00 P.M. EASTERN TIME. OFFEROR MUST SUBMIT A COMPLETE RESPONSE. RESPONSES THAT ARE NOT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE WILL BE RETURNED. QUOTES OF PARTIAL PERFORMANCE SHALL BE REJECTED. QUOTES MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL ONLY IN .doc, .xls AND/OR .pdf FORMAT(S) TO MYRSONIA.LUTZ@NIST.GOV SO THAT THEY ARE RECEIVED AT THAT EMAIL ADDRESSES NO LATER THAN 03:00:00 P.M. EASTERN TIME ON THE CLOSING DATE FOR THIS SOLICITATION. THE ELECTRONIC VERSION SHALL BE IN THE FORM OF AN EMAIL WITH ATTACHMENTS. AWARD SHALL BE MADE TO THE RESPONSIBLE CONTRACTOR THAT QUOTES THE BEST VALUE TO THE GOVERNMENT. THE GOVERNMENT SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY COSTS INCURRED IN RESPONSE TO THIS SOLICITATION. THE GOVERNMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE A SINGLE AWARD, MULTIPLE AWARDS, OR NO AWARD AS A RESULT OF THIS RFQ. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE QUOTTER TO CONFIRM NIST?S RECEIPT OF QUOTE.
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- SN01351646-W 20070727/070725220558 (fbodaily.com)
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