B.1b Questions and Answers.pdf

Question(s) Answer(s) Can the items in the Quotation Pricing Sheet (Enclosure C) be changed? In fact, as for the SIX beamline grating, it makes sense for us to offer the grating substrates and all the required tooling for grating manufacturing as one item, while the fabricated grating(s) represent another, final item. Only the latter will be delivered physically, of course.

In that sense, we propose to quote only three items: (1) substrates incl. tooling and (2) final grating, as well as (3, optional) additional grating / spare.

Is that acceptable for you?

The contractor can modify the Quotation Pricing Sheet to include the items they require to complete the manufacture of the gratings, such as tooling, and additional options, such as spare gratings.

However, the sum of all payments prior to final payment may not exceed 85% of the contract value. Furthermore, BSA will be providing the substrates for the gratings.

The Offeror shall complete and return the Quotation Pricing Sheet (Enclosure C) attached to this document. Prices shall be all inclusive and quoted in U.S. dollars, FOB or DAP, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, Long Island, New York (freight included), including any import duties, customs, and associated costs, if applicable.”

DAP, to our knowledge, explicitly leaves import duties and customs to the buyer – and this is of course what we prefer.

The vendor shall annotate on the bottom of Enclosure C.

AMS-Form-043, the appropriate delivery term whether it be DAP, nondomestic, or FOB for domestic.

As we are listed in SAM, is our understanding correct, that for the submission only the Quotation pricing sheet (Enclosure C), and a Technical proposal document (taking into account the points raised in “2.0 Scope of Work” of the submitted RFQ document) are required?

Interested parties shall provide a Technical document responding to Section 2.1 Qualifiers and Enclosure C.

Enclosure B is only required if an interested party is not currently active and registered in SAM.gov. The forms listed in Section 7.0 are only required if the vendor is not set up in Brookhaven Science Associate’s system.

How many attachment files would you like in the email submission of the formal quotation? Do you want the Quotation pricing sheet (Enclosure C) and other enclosure forms submitted as individual files or would you like one composite pdf with all parts of the bid?

Interested parties may either submit the required documents individually or combine them into one document.

Table 8-2, 8-3, 8-4: What is the length scale desired for the microroughness specification ≤ 1 nm rms on final coated grating? The microroughness of the substrate is specified to be 0.3 nm rms in the frequency range 0.005 to 1 um^{-1} which gives an equivalent length scale of 1 um - 200 um.

The roughness on the final coated grating should reflect the roughness on the grating facets. The facet length determines the upper length scale. Presumably, the groove profile will be measured via AFM, and the lower length scale of the measurement should be significantly less than the grating period. The exact lower length cutoff can be discussed for the Acceptance Test Procedure.

Can you please clarify the following specs?

Section 8.5 Testing requirements, section 8.5.3:“The RMS deviation of the local line density from best fit VLS law shall be < 0.01 mm^{-1}” Residual line density variation of 0.003 mm^{-1} rms, 0.01 mm^{-1} rms and 0.02 mm^{-1} rms respectively in Table 8-2, Table 8-3, Table 8-4.

The local line density can be measured in principle by e.g.

fizeau interferometer in Littrow mode. The residual line density is the remaining line density after the best fit VLS polynomial law is subtracted. The rms value should fit the specifications.

The contractor may suggest an alternative way to measure the line placement accuracy if they describe it adequately in their quote.

The current specification of "residual line density variation" in Table 8-2, Table 8-3, Table 8-4 constrains the errors in the gradient of the wavefront. What is the direct constraint on errors in the wavefront? What is the maximum RMS residual wavefront error in waves?

We do not specify gratings in terms of the wavefront error.

The substrate drawing refers to the SPECIFICATIONS NSLSII- 23ID32-SOW-SPC-004 document. Can you confirm if this document is provided?

The referenced document does not apply to this solicitation and may be disregarded.

What serial number would you like inscribed on the 60 mm x 40 mm substrate faces?

The letters ‘IOS’ and the nominal line density.

Is BSA providing the grating substrates? Yes.