Attachment A -Requirements Document.docx

STATEMENT OF WORK

Procurement of a thermomechanical analyzer (TMA) for accurate cure kinetics, stress, mechanical properties, and warpage measurements for next-generation microelectronics packaging under device-relevant conditions

MML/643.10

I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Security Technologies Group (STG) within the Materials Measurement Science Division is involved in a CHIPS Metrology-funded proposal to advance accurate cure kinetics, stress, mechanical properties, and warpage measurements for next-generation microelectronics packaging under device-relevant conditions. This project is aimed at overcoming key metrological challenges facing the U.S. semiconductor industry, especially in the sphere of advanced packaging. The industry currently confronts significant hurdles due to the dependency on overseas sources for polymeric materials, which are critical in advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes. Our goal is to develop state-of-the-art metrologies, methodologies, and database tools that can comprehensively characterize, test, model, predict, and validate the structure-processing-property relationships of these vital polymeric materials. The acquisition of a Thermomechanical Analyzer (TMA) is a strategic necessity for the success of this project. The TMA system is essential for providing precise measurements of thermal and mechanical properties under varied environmental conditions for electronics packaging materials, thereby aiding in predictive modeling and ensuring the reliability and quality of semiconductor packages. Specifically, the TMA will be used for thermal expansion coefficient measurement of polymeric materials used in advanced packaging under different curing conditions. This procurement aligns with the CHIPS Mission by bolstering the domestic semiconductor industry's metrology capabilities to support the semiconductor ecosystem and foster innovation and competitiveness within the industry.

II. SCOPE

The Contractor shall provide a Thermomechanical Analyzer (TMA), temperature or environmental control system, software, and related accessories. The contractor shall install the system at NIST and provide on-site training. The contractor shall provide a one (1) year warranty period and two (2) options to extend the warranty for 3 years.

III. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide a system that meets or exceeds all technical specifications 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 that are not authorized for sale in the U.S. by the Contractor is 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 001: Quantity One (1) Thermomechanical Analyzer (TMA) instrument shall meet or exceed all of the following minimum specifications:

1. The TMA instrument shall be capable of performing temperature-controlled experiments.

i. The instrument's operating temperature range shall include temperatures from -70 °C to 400 °C without the use of liquid nitrogen.

ii. The heating rate shall cover the range of 0.1 °C/min to 100 °C/min.

iii. Temperature accuracy shall be 1 °C or less.

2. The TMA instrument shall have a means of measuring sample displacement in both the positive (sample extending) and negative (sample shrinking) directions.

i. The resolution of this displacement measurement shall be at least 0.5 nm.

ii. The maximum allowable noise in the displacement measurement shall be 15 nm.

iii. The displacement measurement shall have a measurement range of at least 10 mm.

3. The TMA instrument shall have a means of controlling the force placed on a sample. This force control shall meet the following specifications:

i. The range of the force control shall include forces from 0.001 N to 1 N.

ii. The force control shall operate in the following modes: expansion, penetration, tension, 3-point bend, dynamic thermomechanical analysis.

iii. The force control shall operate in the frequency range between 0.01 Hz and 1 Hz.

4. The TMA instrument shall have a means of connecting to externally supplied inert gas environments (supplied through a NIST-owned compressed gas cylinder.)

i. The instrument should be capable of performing measurements under the following inert gas environments: nitrogen, argon, air, and helium.

ii. The instrument shall be switchable to the gas environments mentioned in (i) by the user.

5. The TMA instrument shall be capable of measuring samples of lengths between 5 mm and 20 mm.

6. The TMA instrument shall be provided with all necessary cords, cables, etc. to enable its installation and connection to a NIST-supplied computer.

7. If vibration reduction methodologies, such as vibration-resistant pads or vibration-reducing slabs (e.g., granite or marble slabs) are recommended for the operation of the TMA instrument, those shall be included with the instrument.

8. The TMA shall not be configured such that it has an open oil bath that requires user maintenance.

9. Software

a. The TMA instrument shall be controlled by external software that can be installed on a NIST-owned computer. NIST prefers to supply our own computer to ensure adherence to our security requirements.

b. This software shall be capable of running on Windows 10 and have the following capabilities:

i. Ability to control instrument from software.

ii. Ability to program standard experimental programs or user-defined experimental programs

iii. Ability to perform analysis of experimental data

iv. Ability to Export data in the following formats: CSV, Excel, Image format for analysis software generated graphs.

10. Documentation

a. A manual describing all procedures to operate the instrument must be delivered with the equipment – can be electronic.

b. A manual describing the calibration procedures – can be electronic.

c. Instruction manuals of the original equipment manufacturer for any third party components (if applicable) must be delivered with the equipment. – can be electronic.

d. One copy of a manual describing the operation of the data acquisition and analysis software shall be delivered with the equipment – can be electronic.

IV. DELIVERABLES

V. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

a. All work shall be performed at the 100 Bureau Dr. Building 220, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

b. The government will provide access to Building 220 to the contractor for the entire period of performance of this contract.

c. 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.

VI. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE/LEAD TIME

VII. 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:

DOC/NIST

Shipping & Receiving 100 Bureau Dr.

Attn: Amanda Forster, Mail Stop 8102 Gaithersburg, MD 20899

*** The Awardee SHALL confirm with the Designated Government Official and the Contracting Officer prior to ANY shipment to NIST***

VIII. INSTALLATION

The system shall be installed by the Contractor and meet contract specifications no later than 60 calendar days 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 220 Room B215.

IX. TRAINING

The contractor shall conduct training sessions for up to 3 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 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and demonstration of specifications and must be completed no later than 30 days after installation.

X. 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. At the time of installation, NIST will supply a sample of a known coefficient of thermal expansion of interest to NIST. This sample will be measured to verify that the instrument is working as expected. NIST will compare the results of the measurement to known values as a part of the acceptance criteria.

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 days of the installation 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.

XI. WARRANTY

The contractor shall warranty the entire system for a period of a minimum of 1 year after receipt of the equipment and shall be in accordance with terms in FAR 52.212-4. Warranty shall commence upon acceptance of the system by the Government. The Contractor guarantees the full system performance of the instrument, including third-party accessories, if these components have been purchased through them and are covered under the Contractor’s Warranty or Service Contract. All costs including parts, labor, travel, and other expenses necessary to repair the system will be borne solely by the Contractor at no additional cost to the U.S. Government. The warranty must include unlimited telephone/e-mail support, during normal business hours, for questions regarding operation. All costs including parts, labor, travel, and other expenses necessary to repair the system will be provided solely by the contractor at no additional cost to the U.S. Government. The contractor shall provide a one (1) year warranty period and two (2) options to extend the warranty for up to 3 years.

XII. 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 after all items are delivered and all work is performed.

1. 100% after installation and acceptance by the TPOC of the fully installed system.

2. The Government anticipates inspection will occur upon:

a. After the testing procedures set forth in this document have been completed 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.

XIII. TRAVEL

a. The contractor shall be responsible for all travel expenses.

XIV. CONTRACTOR SUPPLIED MATERIALS

a. The contractor shall supply all parts, hardware, equipment, and labor required to perform the tasks listed.

XV. MISCELLANEOUS

Safety: The Contractor employee must be responsible for knowing and complying with all installation safety prevention regulations. Such regulations include, but are not limited to, general safety, fire prevention, and waste disposal.

Security: NIST is a restricted campus. An identification badge is required for access for entry into buildings and is shown to the armed Security Police when entering the campus.

Regular Business Hours. Regular business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Time, excluding Federal holidays and NIST closures.

Identification Badges: Contractor employees must comply with NIST identification and access requirements. Each Contractor employee must wear a visible identification badge provided by the NIST Security Office. The contractor shall provide personnel that pass required government background checks to be issued badges for work on site at least 3 weeks prior to site visit.

Vehicle Registration: All Contractor employees must register their vehicles with the NIST Security Office to gain access to the campus. A valid driver’s license, Government-furnished civilian ID, proof of insurance and current registration must be presented to the NIST Security Office, at which time a NIST vehicle pass will be issued. The pass must be displayed on the vehicle in accordance with NIST Security Office instructions.

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