Attachment 1 - Statement of Work.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

High-Pressure XPS System

I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Advanced in situ and operando methods for real-time monitoring of the chemical status of wafer surfaces, thin films, and interfaces are essential for semiconductor process development and control. The NIST CHIPS Plasma XPS project requires a High-Pressure XPS system (HPXPS, also denoted as Ambient Pressure (AP) or near-ambient Pressure (NAP)), which will be used to develop the new Plasma XPS metrology platform. The HPXPS system consists of a differentially pumped AP XPS spectrometer and X-ray source capable of providing an intense, focused X-ray beam to the sample under elevated pressure of plasma.

Both the APXPS analyzer and X-ray source are connected to the custom-made reaction chamber located in building 216 D109 lab.

II. PURPOSE

The NIST CHIPS Plasma XPS project aims to acquire a High-Pressure XPS system for precise, real-time, sub-monolayer sensitive in-situ chemical analysis of wafer surfaces during plasma processing. This capability is crucial to supporting the CHIPS R&D: Metrology Program’s Grand Challenge, which seeks to advance semiconductor manufacturing by enabling innovative plasma-XPS metrology. The system will provide real-time, process-specific data, supporting precise process development, optimization, automation, and modeling.

This investment will drive innovation in semiconductor fabrication, enhance process control, increase throughput, and provide broader public benefits through a deeper understanding of plasma-surface interactions and material processing.

III. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

The system shall meet or exceed the minimum requirements identified below. All items must be new.

Used or remanufactured equipment will not be considered for award. Experimental, prototype, or custom items will not be considered. The use of “gray market” components are not acceptable. All line items shall be shipped in the original manufacturer’s packaging and include all original documentation and software, when applicable.

Line Item 0001:

Description: APXPS analyzer Quantity: One (1) A. Technical Specifications.

The Contractor shall provide a system that meets all technical specifications identified below:

1. AP (NAP) XPS analyzer

a) The AP(NAP) XPS analyzer is attached to a customized sample chamber (SC) that can be filled with N2, He, H2, Ar, O2, CH4, gases, and H2O vapor and their mixtures.

b) The Analyzer can operate in UHV and at elevated pressure in the SC up to at least 5 Torr with the aforementioned gases and up to 20 Torr of water vapor.

c) The system should demonstrate a few kcps Ag 3d5/2 count rate at a few Torr N2 pressure from the Ag test sample exited by a designated Al Kα X-ray source.

d) The working distance between the analyzer and the sample should be equal or greater than 0.3

mm. For facile access to the sample, a larger distance (1-2 mm) for the pressure range of 0.05-

0.5 Torr and a smaller front orifice cone angle are preferred.

e) Electron kinetic energy ranges from at least 20 eV to 1500 eV.

f) The highest spectral and spatial resolution options are preferred.

Line Item 0002:

Description: Near Ambient Pressure Monochromatized X-ray source Quantity: One (1)

A. Technical Specifications The Contractor shall provide a system that meets all technical specifications identified below:

a) The X-ray source provides highly focused monochromatized Al Kα excitation with a resolution better than 250 meV to the sample.

b) Variable spot size in the order of 1 mm or smaller, and photon flux higher than 1010 ph/s.

c) The X-ray pressure separating membrane window should withstand the pressure differential

300 Torr or better.

d) The largest distance between the sample and the membrane X-ray window is preferred for facile access to the sample.

Line Item 0003

Description: Differential pumping systems and controls electronics Quantity: (multiple items) A. Technical Specifications

The Contractor shall provide a system that meets all technical specifications identified below:

a) Both the APXPS analyzer and X-ray source have differential pumping systems that are equipped with corresponding turbo and dry backing pumps, valves, vacuum gauges, power supplies, cables and controlled electronics and PC controlled software.

b) Both the APXPS analyzer and X-ray source are equipped with control electronics, a computer control system with PC-controlled software, cables, power supplies, close-cycle cooling systems (where necessary), and corresponding software, including data acquisition and analysis software.

DELIVERABLES

Standards of Acceptance: The NIST SME or COR shall review (list deliverable) and respond with an acceptance or request for revision email to the Contractor Point of Contact (POC) within 10 days/weeks of receipt of deliverable. This section applies to deliverables which must be reviewed and approved for acceptances (draft plans, drawings, etc.). Since the project includes heavy customization of the system

Milestone Description Due Date

1 Deliver HPXPS system No later than ten (10) months after date of award.

2 Installation (vendor assistance is required on-site)

Within 30 days after delivery

3 Training (online acceptable) Within 7 days after installation by NIST, the factory acceptance test data taken during the instrument build will be considered for acceptance along with on-site tests.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

a. All work shall be performed at the 100 Bureau Dr. Building 216, D109 lab, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

b. The lab space will be prepared to install and connect the equipment.

c. The government will provide access to Building 216 to the contractor if necessary, for the entire period of performance of this contract.

d. The day-to-day supervision and direct control over the work performed by the on-site contractor personnel shall be the sole responsibility of the contractor.

IV. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE/LEAD TIME

The period of performance will take approximately 48 weeks ARO.

Item Description Period Date(s) Factory Acceptance 10 weeks ARO Site Visit 12 weeks ARO System Delivery 20 weeks ARO Installation / Facilitation 12 weeks post delivery Commissioning the system 4 weeks post facilitation

V. DELIVERY TERMS

Delivery shall be F.O.B Destination and shall occur in accordance with the delivery due dates provided in the above table.

FOB Destination means: The contractor shall pack and mark the shipment in conformance with carrier requirements, deliver the shipment in good order and condition to the point of delivery specified in the purchase order, be responsible for any loss of and/or damage to the goods occurring before receipt and acceptance of the shipment by the consignee at the delivery point specified in the purchase order; and pay all charges to the specified point of delivery. The contractor shall deliver all Line Items to:

National Institute of Standards and Technology Shipping & Receiving Attn: C/O/ POC/COR (Andrei Kolmakov, Bld. 216, D109) 100 Bureau Dr.

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

VI. INSTALLATION

The system shall be installed by NIST under Contractor supervision and meet contract specifications no later than 1 month after delivery. Installation, at a minimum, shall include uncrating/unpackaging of all equipment, rigging, set-up and hook-up of the system, demonstration of all specifications, and removal of trash. Onsite installation and demonstration shall be done at NIST, (Gaithersburg, MD- Building 216.)

VII. TRAINING

The contractor shall conduct training session for up to five (5) users at NIST. The training shall provide a thorough demonstration of all system/solution functions, maintenance, data administration, and basic troubleshooting. The training may be completed at NIST Monday – Friday during the operating hours of (provide hours or revise to remote) immediately after installation and demonstration of specifications and must be completed no later than ten (10) days after installation.

a. After the system passes the site acceptance test, the contractor shall train users on the operation and maintenance of the system.

b. The contractor shall supply the initial installation manual, utility requirements, full system design schematics, and a diagram showing the tool footprint, measurements, and wall penetrations for the system at the time of award.

VIII. INSPECTION & ACCEPTANCE

In addition to the inspection and acceptance terms articulated in 52.212-4, the Government reserves the right to perform such performance tests and evaluations as defined below to verify specified system performance. Such tests and evaluations, if performed, shall be conducted within the environment that the system is to be operated. The Contractor has the right to be present during the tests and evaluations, if performed, at the Contractor’s expense.

Performance Tests:

1. Leaks-free performance in UHV and elevated pressure to at least 5 Torr for N2 and 20 Torr for H2O.

2. XPS spectra quality (intensity, resolution) tests on Ag foil samples in UHV and N2 environments up to max allowed pressure (but not lower than 5 Torr)

3. X-ray source beam size tests using a phosphor-coated sample in UHV and max allowed pressure (but not lower than 5 Torr)

4. AP XPS analyzer test in all modes including imaging (if available) in UHV and max allowed pressure (but not lower than 5 Torr for gases and 20 Torr for H2O).

NIST may choose at its discretion to forego this part of acceptance testing.

A visual inspection of the equipment will be performed by the NIST COR to identify surface defects or any form of indication that any equipment was damaged during transport to NIST. The Government shall have sole discretion to require repair or replacement of damaged and/or nonconforming supplies at no cost to the Government. The Government at any time prior to acceptance shall reject the equipment due to defects and/or nonconformance. The vendor is responsible for latent defects discovered any time after final inspection. However, the extent of its liability shall be prorated over the useful life of the equipment.

Ownership of the equipment shall transfer to NIST upon acceptance by the Government.

The Government will test, inspect, and accept or reject the equipment within (30 working days it will take to inspect, accept or reject) of the receipt of the equipment unless otherwise indicated above. The Government reserves the right to conduct quality assurance testing to confirm that a given instrument(s) meets the manufacturer’s and/or the Government’s performance specifications. It is anticipated that the equipment will meet all manufacturer’s specifications and/or the Government’s performance specifications identified in the most recent operations and maintenance manual for each piece of equipment and/or in this document.

IX. WARRANTY

The contractor shall warranty the entire system for a period of a minimum of 1 year after acceptance of the equipment and shall be in accordance with terms in FAR 52.212-4.

X. PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Advance payment is not authorized. The Contractor must invoice in arrears according to the payment schedule. The Contractor shall be paid, in accordance with Net 30-day payment terms, upon receipt and acceptance of a proper invoice, in accordance with the following schedule:

Installation docs provided 20% Factory Acceptance 20% Delivery 15% Successful Inspection and Acceptance 35% Post Acceptance Wrap up Meeting 10%

NOTE: Partial shipments and partial invoices will not be accepted, unless otherwise requested and accepted by the Contracting Officer prior to award offer. Proposed payment schedules shall be submitted with vendor’s response to the RFQ for consideration.