National Institute of Standards and Technology, Acquisition and Assistance Division, Bldg. 301, Room B117, Gaithersburg, MD 20899

66 -- UPGRADE THE HIGH TEMPERATURE ULTRA HIGH VACUUM SYSTEM SOL 52SBNB6C9269 DUE 091996 POC Kathleen Lettofsky (301) 975-6342 The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis under the authority of 41 USC 253(c)(1) the services of The Pennsylvania State University to upgrade the high temperature ultra high vacuum system and add on new improved components to the optical multichannel analyzer spectroscopic ellipsometer currently installed at NIST Semiconductor Electronics Division. It is anticipated that only the ellipsometry group at Materials Research Laboratory at the Pennsylvania State University can satisfy the requirement, because the system was designed, fabricated, implemented by Penn State University (PSU) staff. This group is well known worldwide for their expertise especially in fast-scanning spectroscopic ellipsometry and spectroscopic ellipsometry in general and the application of this technique to in-situ metrology of thin film fabrication in a vacuum environment. PSU will provide technical support by assigning the staff engineer to perform the work on-site, and that personally designed and implemented the system. The staff engineer has installed and tested this system at NIST and knows every detail of the system and has hands-on experience and therefore can quickly and successfully perform the required service. The following work shall be performed: Work on the ultra-high vacuum system: 1) all gauges and pneumatic valves on the system shall be automated and computerized so that they can be operated from a computer using a Windows application software; 2) design, fabricate, install and test a sample heater for the load-lock chamber; 3) research various mass flow controllers and their properties, then determine types to be used with the vacuum system for future materials processes; 4) maintain the whole vacuum sysem for operation and update monthly inventory. Work on the ellipsometer: 1) Modify the current setup of the ellipsometer to add on a photomultiplier tube (PMT) detection system. Design and implement a gain stabilizer to minimize signal non-linearity. Design and implement signal processing that is commonly used in the PMT detection technique. New data acquisition software shall be written for this new signal processing. Make measurements on differenct materials and compare with those obtained by the optical multichannel analyzer detection technique; 2) Install a new achromatic quarter-wave compensator on the ellipsometer and automate so that it can be in and out of the ellipsometer optical path as a user's option. Calibrate the phase shifts of the compensator as a function of wavelength and establish its short and long term stability. Modify the data acquisition software to take into account of the compensator. Make and compare measurements with and without the compensator to demonstrate the measurement precision improvement; and 3) Investigate throretically various rotating-compensator types of ellipsometer and design the best possible configuration of the selected type. Interested offerors may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirements by submitting a capability statement. The capability statement must provide adequate information and qualifications to provide this type of service. All of the above must be received for the Government to consider whether to open this requirement for competition. This notice of intent is not a requirement for competitive proposals. However, all ''capability statements'' received within 45 days after date of preparation of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A solicitation is not available. See Numbered Note 22 and 26. (0221)

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