18 -- STRAINED LAYER SUPERLATTICE DETECTOR DEVELOPMENT

Notice Date

November 9, 2000

Contracting Office

Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AFRL -- PL "Space Vehicles Directorate", 2251 Maxwell Ave, Kirtland AFB, NM, 87177

ZIP Code

87177

Solicitation Number

PKV-01-01

Response Due

December 15, 2000

Point of Contact

Paulette Windley, Contracts Specialist, Phone 505 846 5011, Fax 505 846 6022, Email Paulette.Windley@Kirtland.af.mil -- Paulette Windley, Contracts Specialist, Phone 505 846 5011, Fax 505 846 6022, Email

E-Mail Address

Paulette Windley (Paulette.Windley@Kirtland.af.mil)

Description

A. INTRODUCTION: The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate (VS) Space Based Infrared Technology Branch (AFRL/VSSS) is interested in receiving technical proposals from all offerors for new and innovative research in the area of Strained Layer Superlattice Detector Development. The total program budget for this effort is approximately $1 -- $1.5M over four years. All potential offerors should be aware that due to unanticipated budget fluctuations, funding can change with little or no notice. Offerors are advised to contact the technical point of contact prior to committing resources to preparing a proposal in response to this announcement. The technical and cost proposals shall be submitted in separate volumes in original and three copies with the original marked to distinguish it from the copies and shall include the information required by the proposal preparation and cost proposal instructions. A 3.5" diskette, IBM PC compatible, Microsoft Excel (Version 5.0 or 7.0) files, to include all cell formulas, containing the cost proposal is required. Offerors must be registered and validated in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) System prior to award of any contract from the Department of Defense. Offerors may view the PRDA/BAA Guide for information at http://extra.afrl.af.mil/policy-guides.htm. B. TECHNICAL TOPIC AREA: Area entitled "Strained Layer Superlattice Detector Development". The objective of this PRDA is to design, develop, and evaluate Long Wavelength Infrared (LWIR) detectors made of InAs/InGaSb type II strained layer superlattice (SLS) material for space-based space surveillance applications. For space-based surveillance applications, where one has to detect faint targets at long distances, large format focal plane arrays, consisting of LWIR detectors with high detectivities and good uniformity are necessary. The LWIR detectors currently being developed are doped silicon, HgCdTe, and quantum well infrared detectors. SLS detectors combine the advantages of all these detector technologies, and hold great promise in terms of performance, uniformity, higher temperature operation etc. AFRL is interested in the design and development of high performance InAs/InGaSb SLS LWIR detectors exhibiting background limited performance for backgrounds that are typical of space environments. Contractors shall optimize starting materials, detector structure, and growth conditions to obtain 64x64 arrays of SLS LWIR (10-14 micron cutoff wavelength) detectors with performance and uniformity better than state-of-the-art HgCdTe detectors. The contractor shall characterize these detectors in terms of responsivity, dark current, detectivity etc. at temperatures of 40-77K, and backgrounds as low as 1011 photons/cm2-s. Contractors shall make recommendations for further improving the performance and developing 256x256 and larger arrays. Technical point of contact: AFRL/VSSS, Dr Vaidya Nathan, 505-846-4497, FAX 505-846-6098, email: vaidya.nathan@kirtland.af.mil. C. DELIVERABLE ITEMS. The following data deliverable items will be required: (1) Data. (a) Program Plan with updates as needed; (b) Monthly Status Reports; (c) Final Report, draft and final with camera ready copy; and (d) Presentation Material as needed in conjunction with technical interchange meetings. (2) Hardware. Prototype detectors and test structures every six months for AFRL testing/evaluation and one 64x64 detector array hybridized to a suitable cryogenic multiplexer as a final deliverable end product, including relevant test data and any residuals. These deliverable detectors and test structures shall be attached to 68pin leadless chip carriers. The final end product will be subject to acceptance testing. All items shall be delivered to the Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB. D. BASIS FOR AWARD: The proposals will be evaluated by a peer or scientific review process in accordance with the following evaluation criteria listed in descending order of importance: 1. The overall scientific and technical merits of the proposal, including capabilities and related experience, facilities, techniques or unique combinations of these which are an integral factor for achieving proposal objectives; 2. Importance to AFRL/VS programs; and 3. Availability of Funds. No further evaluation criteria will be used in selecting the proposals. Once the evaluation is completed, all proposals will be sorted into categories as follows: (i) Category I: Well conceived, scientifically and technically sound proposals pertinent to program goals and objectives, and offered by a responsible contractor with the competent scientific and technical staff and supporting resources needed to ensure satisfactory program results. Proposals in Category I are recommended for acceptance and normally are displaced only by other Category I proposals. (ii) Category II: Scientifically or technically sound proposals requiring further development and are recommended for acceptance, but are at a lower priority than Category I; (iii) Category III: Proposals not technically sound or do not meet agency needs. Subject to the availability of funds, AFRL reserves the right to select for award any, all, part, or none of the proposals received in response to this announcement. When requested, a debriefing will be provided. AFRL contemplates awarding Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) completion type contract(s) under this announcement. Offerors shall submit proposals in accordance with the Proposal Preparation Instructions posted at the FedBizOpps website. The closing date of this announcement is 1600 hours Mountain Time, 15 December 2000. Proposals shall be submitted to Det 8 AFRL/PKVS, Attn: Ms Paulette S. L. Windley, 2551 Maxwell Ave SE, Building 426, Kirtland AFB NM 87117-5773. Do not send proposals to any other address or they may not be considered for award. Proposals submitted by fax or e-mail will not be considered for award. The topic area may involve technology that is subject to U.S. Export Control Laws. It is anticipated that awards will be unclassified with limited access. Therefore, only offerors who are certified by the Defense Logistics Information Service (DLIS) may submit proposals. Contact the Defense Logistics Service Center (DLSC) on-line at http://www.dlis.dla.mil/ccal or at DLIS, US/Canada Joint Certification Center, Federal Center, 74 North Washington, Battle Creek, Michigan 49016-4312, 1-800-352-3572 for further information on the certification and approval process. Discussions with the point of contact shall not constitute a commitment by the Government to subsequently fund or award any proposed effort. Only Contracting Officers are legally authorized to commit the government. Offerors must mark their proposals with the restrictive language stated in FAR 15.609(a). Foreign-owned firms that are interested must contact the Contracting Officer Ms. Paulette S. L. Windley (505) 846-5011 prior to proposal submission. For the purposes of this PRDA the small business size standard is 1000 employees, NAICS 541710. Firms responding should indicate if they are a Small Business, a Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Business, an 8(a) Certified Business, a Woman-Owned Business and/or a HUBZone Certified Small Business Concern. If offeror is other than a small business, a small business subcontracting/small disadvantaged business plan is to be submitted with the proposal. E. GENERAL INFORMATION: All Information Technology used, developed or acquired in any resulting contract shall be Year 2000 compliant. An enabling clause is also anticipated in any resulting contract. An Ombudsman has been appointed to mediate concerns from offerors or potential offerors during the pre-proposal phase of competitive, negotiated acquisitions. The Ombudsman does not participate in proposal evaluation or contractor selection. The Ombudsman can work with the responsible acquisition officials to respond to concerns, but will not detract from the authorities of the Project Manager or Contracting Officer. When requested, the Ombudsman will maintain the confidentiality of sources. The Ombudsman at Phillips Research Site is Lt. Col. Robert Gillette, Deputy Director of Contracting, Det 8 AFRL/PK, 2251 Maxwell Ave SE, Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5773; (505) 846-4979. Before contacting the Ombudsman, potential offerors should first refer concerns to the Contracting Officer, Paulette S. L. Windley at (505), 846-5011. This announcement is an expression of interest only and does not commit the government to pay for proposal preparation cost. The cost of preparing proposals in response to this PRDA is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or to any other contract. However, it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost. Interested offerors may view and download the proposal preparation and cost instructions by accessing (http://www.eps.gov) (At the FedBizOpps homepage, select Venders, USAF Offices, AF Material Command Location, AFRL-PL "Space Vehicles Directorate" Posted Dates.). Note 26.

Web Link

Visit this URL for the latest information about this (http://www2.eps.gov/cgi-bin/WebObjects/EPS.woa/wa/SPF?A=P&P=PKV-01-01&L=2682)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20001114/18SOL001.HTM (D-314 SN5063Z8)