00650 - SOW.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

BMF ELECTROPLATING SYSTEM

1) BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

a) NIST-Boulder has a state-of-the-art research laboratory (the Katharine Blodgett Gebbie Building) to support the most sensitive research done at NIST. Included in this building is a Class 100 microelectronics fabrication facility, called the Boulder Micro-fabrication Facility (BMF). The

BMF is expanding its capabilities and needs to possess the capability to electroplate metals onto

SEMI spec wafers to produce its next-generation devices. Therefore, the BMF requires an electroplating system.

2) SCOPE OF WORK:

a) Objectives:

i. The goal of this contract is to have a contractor supply, install, and train new users on an electroplating system that meets the needs of the BMF community.

b) Specific Requirements:

i) The Contractor shall supply all parts, hardware, equipment, and labor required to meet the following technical specifications:

ii) The electroplating system shall:

(1) Be constructed with materials that are compatible for use in an ISO Class 7 cleanroom.

(2) Be able to electroplate any metal or alloy that can be electroplated in aqueous solutions including but not limited to gold using a gold sulfite electroplating solution.

(3) Include appropriate interlocks to ensure that the tool is safely operated.

(4) Include all computer systems, power supplies, and all ancillary equipment required for the system to operate.

(5) Consist of a single, integrated unit that is no larger than 25 inches wide, 25 inches deep, and 25 inches tall.

(6) Be able to be powered using a 120 V, 15 A single phase power source.

(7) Be able to electroplate a substrate with a size of 10 mm x 10 mm to 100 mm x 100 mm with the appropriate set of substrate holders and anodes.

(a) The substrate holders and anodes must be able to be simply changed with only the use of minor tools and minor system modification.

(b) The system shall contain the parts necessary to electroplate gold onto 3” SEMI spec wafers, with wafer thicknesses between 250 and 500 microns. If multiple substrate holders are required to meet the specified thickness range, the contractor shall supply multiple substrate holders.

(c) Holders and anodes for substrates with a size of 10 mm x 10 mm to 100 mm x 100 mm other than a 3” wafer must be available for subsequent separate purchases.

(8) Include a substrate holder that:

(a) Makes electrical contact with the front side of the substrate either with at least 3 contact points, each with a diameter of less than 5 mm, or a continuous contact around the edge with all contact points of at least 2 mm from the substrate edge but not greater than 5 mm from the substrate edge. All electrical contacts must be protected from the electroplating solution.

(b) Prevents the back side of the substrate from encountering the plating solution.

(9) Be able to operate with 4 liters of plating solution or less.

(10) Be either constructed of plastic or plastic-coated in areas that are exposed to plating solution.

(11) Include an electroplating solution recirculating system able to circulate fresh solution and filter out particles with a size of 1 micron or greater.

(12) Be able to control the temperature of the plating solution from ambient conditions to 70 C with a temperature stability of ± 1 C. The system shall also include an over-temperature shutoff to prevent dangerous conditions.

(13) Be able to electroplate materials using a programmable, computer-controllable power supply able to provide DC, pulse, and reverse pulse capabilities, with:

(a) A current DC and pulse average of 0.1 A.

(b) A current peak of 0.3 A.

(c) An accuracy of 0.1 mA.

(d) A voltage range of 0 – 10 V.

(e) Pulse time of 0.01 ms to 99 seconds.

(14) Have an anode that is constructed of platinum coated titanium.

(15) Be able to uniformly electroplate gold layers across a 3” SEMI spec wafer with varying feature sizes and seed layer conductance’s. In order to demonstrate this, the system shall be able to plate 100 micron by 100 micron gold squares with an average thickness between 4 and 6 microns, on a 100 nm gold seed layer placed on a 3” silicon over with a 5

– 10 nm titanium adhesion layer, with a uniformity that has a standard deviation of 2 % or less over a 1 % coverage pattern on a 3” SEMI spec wafer or larger area with a 5 mm exclusion zone from the edge of the wafer, using a gold sulfite plating solution. The

Government will provide the silicon test wafers with the titanium adhesion and gold seed layers that are patterned with 7-micron photoresist and the gold sulfite plating solution.

The uniformity will be measured using a stylus profilometer at a site acceptance test.

(a) Preference will be given to contractors that can provide greater film uniformity.

(16) Include a mechanical method to improve macro-scale plating uniformity across the substrate. Examples of this could include anode and/or substrate motion.

(17) The contractor shall supply the installation manual, utility requirements, and a diagram showing the tool footprint, and measurements (with their quotation).

(18) Within one-week completion of the scope, the contractor shall provide the TPOC with a report of the work done, the results of the acceptance test, and any issues identified.

3) ON-SITE INSTALLATION AND TRAINING:

i) During tool installation, the contractor shall provide a working set of standard recipes that will electroplate gold as listed in section 2.b.ii.

ii) After the tool passes the site acceptance test, the contractor shall provide on-site applications training for at least two, 8-hour days.

iii) The contractor shall schedule all visits to the BMF with the NIST Technical Point of

Contact (TPOC) within 4 weeks after delivery of equipment, and coordinate within 2 weeks of travel to the site.

iv) The contractor shall be responsible for all travel expenses.

4) INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE:

i) After tool installation, the contractor shall demonstrate the electroplating system performs according to tool specifications using a standard site acceptance test. This test shall include demonstrating that the tool can deposit the materials listed in section

2.b.ii. The Government will provide the plating solution required for this test. The tool must meet the stated performance requirements before it will be accepted.

5) WARRANTY:

i) The contractor shall supply a one-year warranty on all parts and labor.

6) DELIVERY SCHEDULE:

i. Deliver equipment within 15 weeks after receipt of order (ARO) or sooner

ii. Provide Installation and Training within 4-weeks after delivery

iii. Government Inspection and Acceptance expected within 4 weeks after Installation and

Training

iv. 1-Year Warranty will begin after Government acceptance.

7) DELIVERY LOCATION:

i. Delivery, Installation and Training will occur at:

The National Institute of Standards and Technology

325 Broadway, Building 81

Boulder, Colorado 80602

ii. The government will provide access to Building 81 to the contractor

8) GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY:

i. The Government will provide the appropriate plating solutions for the site acceptance test on site.

9) GENERAL SAFETY & SECURITY:

a) The contractor shall:

i) Provide qualified installation and training Contractor personnel that pass required

Government background checks to be issued badges for work on site.

ii) All Contractors accessing the NIST site shall be badged by NIST Security. No one may enter the site without a badge.

10) CONFIDENTIALITY:

a) The information developed under this contract is the property of the U.S. Government and shall be kept in strict confidence.