Combined Synopsis-Solicitation.pdf

SUBJECT: CHIPS R&D: Automated High Placement Accuracy Flip-Chip Die Bonder

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 1333ND24QNB030528

RESPONSE DATE: August 28, 2024

CONTACT POINTS: Sadaf Afkhami, Contracting Officer, (301) 975-3976

DESCRIPTION:

THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS OR

COMMERCIAL SERVICES PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FAR

SUBPART 12.6-STREAMLINED PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION AND SOLICITATION

FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS-AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY

SOLICITATION; QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED, AND A SEPARATE WRITTEN

SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. THE SOLICITATION IS BEING ISSUED USING

SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF FAR PART 13.5

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2024-05 dated May 22, 2024.

The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is

334413– Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing with a small business size standard of 1,250 employees. This acquisition is being solicited as a total small business set-aside.

Contractors must possess an ACTIVE registration in the System for Award Management system, www.SAM.gov, when submitting a quotation and shall continue to be registered until time of award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract resulting from this solicitation. The Contracting Officer will confirm that quoters have an “active” registration at the www.sam.gov website upon receipt of the quotation. If the SAM.gov registration is not active, the quotation will not be considered for award.

BACKGROUND:

The Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division (MND) within the National Institute of Standards and

Technology’s (NIST) Physical Measurement Lab (PML) develops integrated microsystems by advancing the state of the art in nanofabrication, thereby enabling the transfer of NIST measurement technologies to the industrial, academic, and government communities. In conjunction with the Quantum Measurement, Quantum

Sensors and Nanoscale Device Characterization within the PML, the MND is developing methods to better understand, characterize, and predict the strength of directly bonded dielectric, semiconductor and metallic plasma-treated wafer surfaces that are relevant for current industrial electronic and photonic device fabrication processes. To achieve this goal, a wide range of analytical and metrological techniques will be applied to pre-and post-bond surface-treated wafer pairs and correlated with results from bond strength measurements. New standardized methods for characterizing chip-to-chip bond strength tests will, in addition, be developed.

The investigation will cover parings of various semiconductor, dielectric and metallic surfaces, and is expected to require, for each surface pair combination, a wide range of parameter variations. To support this investigation, an automated flip-chip die bonder is required for performing die-do-die and die-to-wafer bonding in the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology cleanroom in Gaithersburg, MD.

The objective of this solicitation is to establish a Firm-Fixed-Price purchase order based on the specifications described in the attached Statement of Requirements (SOR).

All Contractors shall provide a firm-fixed-price quotation for the following line item(s):

Contract Line-Item Number (CLIN) QTY UNIT UNIT

PRICE

APPLICABLE

DISCOUNTS

TOTAL

BASE CLIN 0001 – Automatic Die

Bonder System inclusive of delivery, submission of required documentation, installation, and training, in accordance with the Statement of Requirement.

1 Each

BASE CLIN 0002– Chuck Tooling in accordance with the Statement of

Requirement.

- Three (3) sets of upper chuck tooling

- One (1) set of lower chuck tooling

4 Sets

BASE CLIN 0003 – Initial Warranty in accordance with the Statement of

Requirement.

1 Year

OPTION CLIN 0004 – Optional Chuck

Tooling in accordance with the Statement of Requirement.

2 Sets

OPTION CLIN 0005– Option Year 1 of

Extended Warranty/Maintenance Services in accordance with the Statement of

Requirement.

1 Year

OPTION CLIN 0006– Option Year 2 of

Extended Warranty/Maintenance Services in accordance with the Statement of

Requirement.

1 Year

TOTAL:

Date(s) and place(s) of delivery and acceptance and FOB point are required in accordance with the attached Statement of Requirement document.

Due Date for Quotations and Questions

All quotations must be submitted, via e-mail, to the Contracting Officer, Sadaf Afkhami, at

Sadaf.Afkhami@nist.gov. Submissions must be received no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on

August 28, 2024. FAX quotations will not be accepted. Quoters must reference the RFQ number in the subject line of the e-mail submission. Quotes shall not be deemed received by the Government until the quotation has entered the e-mail inbox of the individual(s) set forth above.

Questions: All questions regarding this notice must be submitted via e-mail to the Contracting Officer, Sadaf Afkhami, at Sadaf.Afkhami@nist.gov, no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on August 19, 2024.

All responses to the questions will be made in writing, without identification of the questioner, and will be included in an amendment to the solicitation. Even if provided in other form, only the responses included in the amendment to the solicitation will govern performance of the contract.

Please reference the solicitation number in the subject line of all email communications.

mailto:Sadaf.Afkhami@nist.gov mailto:Sadaf.Afkhami@nist.gov

QUOTATION PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Each quotation shall consist of four (4) separate electronic files (in PDF format). In preparing the quotation, each electronic file shall stand on its own. For each given evaluation factor, the Government will only evaluate the information provided in the corresponding section of the quotation. The

Contractor’s quotation shall be clearly divided into the following four (4) files:

1. Technical Quotation

2. Past Performance

3. Price Quotation

4. Provisions and Clauses

1. Technical Quotation:

The technical quotation shall address the following:

Technical Capability:

The quoter shall submit technical approach and capability documentation which may include a narrative, charts, graphs, tables, drawings, product / service literature, and as applicable, demonstrated authority to provide the necessary items and perform the required services identified in the Statement of Requirement (Attachment 1). The documentation shall clearly describe, in sufficient detail, the vendor's authority, proposed items, resources and methods to successfully fulfill the requirements including specifications, performance capability requirements, delivery schedules, warranties, and all service requirements. The submission shall clearly identify each line item above. The submission must demonstrate that the proposed system meets or exceeds each minimum requirement described within the attached

Statement of Requirement document by providing a citation between the Statement of

Requirement paragraph and the relevant section of the technical description or product literature. The offeror must not simply state they will meet or exceed the requirement;

evidence must be provided. If applicable, evidence that the offeror is authorized by the manufacturer to provide the item(s) in the quotation shall be included.

2. Past Performance

The Contractor shall provide past performance information regarding relevant contracts over the past three (3) years with Federal, state, or local governments, or commercial customers. If the offeror intends to subcontract with another firm(s) for part of this requirement, that firm’s past performance information shall also be provided. If the offeror has no relevant past performance, it may include a statement to that effect in its quotation. The government reserves the right to consider data obtained from sources other than those described by the offeror in its quotation.

For each contract/order, the Contractor shall provide the following information:

a) Contract number;

b) Product Number or Service provided.

c) Description and relevance to solicitation requirements including dollar value;

d) Period of Performance – indicate by month and year the state and completion

(or “ongoing”) dates for the contract;

e) Reference Contact – If a non-Government contract, identify the name and address of the client with current telephone number and email address of a point of contact of the client responsible for the contract;

f) Contracting Office – If a Government contract (Federal or state), identify the

Contracting Officer (CO), and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and their names, current telephone numbers and email addresses.

g) Problems Encountered – include information regarding any problems encountered on the contracts described above and corrective actions taken to resolve those problems.

3. Price Quotation:

The price quotation shall be separate from any other portion of the quotation. The Contractor shall submit a firm-fixed-price quotation for each CLIN to include all shipping/delivery costs.

The price quotation shall include a cover page with the following information:

a) The solicitation number 1333ND24QNB030528;

b) The name and address, of the Contractor;

c) The name, phone number, and email address of the Contractor’s point of contact;

d) The Unique Entity ID # for Contractor’s active SAM.Gov registration.

e) Any applicable discount terms.

f) A statement that the Contractor agrees to all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. If the Contractor objects to any of the terms and conditions contained in this solicitation, the Contractor shall state “The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following:” [Contractor shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s)]. It is the sole responsibility of the

Contractor to identify in their quote any exceptions to the terms and conditions of the solicitation.

g) A statement that the quotation is valid for a minimum of 90 days from the response deadline of this solicitation.

4. Provisions and Clauses:

The provisions and clauses applicable to this solicitation are identified in Attachment 2 titled

“Provisions and Clauses”. Contractors shall provide a completed copy of all provisions highlighted in blue in the attached Provisions and Clauses document (Attachment 2).

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The Government intends to award a single firm fixed price purchase order (PO) from this solicitation to the responsible Contractor whose quotation, conforming to the solicitation is found most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The Government will evaluate quotations based on the following evaluation criteria factors: 1) Technical Capability; 2) Past Performance; and 3) Price.

Nonprice factors, when combined are more important than Price.

A Contractor's failure to address any factor may be considered indicative of the Contractor's lack of understanding of the Government's requirements and may result in the quote being determined unacceptable.

Evaluation Factors:

Factor 1- Technical Capability:

This procurement is for commercial items. Therefore, prototypes or demonstration models will not be accepted. Additionally, used or refurbished instruments will not be considered. Evaluation of technical capability shall be limited to the information provided in the quotation.

Evaluation of this factor is a subjective evaluation of the vendor's demonstrated resources, capability, and methods to meet all requirements. This may include the authority to provide the required items (i.e.

authorized dealer/seller/reseller), authority to provide maintenance and repair services, and the capability and method to successfully meet all the requirements in the Statement of Requirement. Quotations that do not demonstrate that the proposed equipment meets or exceeds all requirements will not be considered further for award. If an offeror’s technical description and/or product literature does not indicate whether its proposed equipment meets a certain minimum requirement, NIST will determine that it does not meet the requirement.

Better consideration will be given to the following specifications:

Specification Submission Requirement

BASE - Line Item 0001:

Description: Automatic Die Bonder System

1. MECHANICAL

b. The footprint of the main system shall be less than 5 feet by 6 feet. This footprint does not need to include auxiliary components such as chillers. The specified dimensions are limited by the amount of space available for it to reside inside the CNST nanofabrication facility.

Better consideration will be given to systems with smaller footprints.

If such a system is being offered, please provide sufficient information to indicate that the system meets this requirement to include but not limited to technical data sheets or other ways of demonstrating capability.

5. ALIGNMENT CAPABILITY

d. The imaging field of view for alignment shall be of 500 microns x 500 microns or greater.

Better consideration will be given to systems offering larger fields-of-view. Larger fields of view are important for larger devices, where alignment fiducials and device features are separated by more than the specified distances.

If such a system is being offered, please provide sufficient information to indicate that the system meets this requirement to include but not limited to technical data sheets or other ways of demonstrating

f. The alignment accuracy shall be of less than or equal to

+/- 500 nanometers, based on repeated measurements of automatically placed dies on a substrate with alignment marks. Better consideration will be given to systems capable of demonstrating placement accuracies lower than

+/ 500 nanometers. High alignment and placement accuracy is required because of hybrid bonding and advanced microelectronic and photonic device integration experiments and fabrication runs that are anticipated.

that the system meets this requirement to include but not limited to technical data sheets or other ways of demonstrating

g. The automatic die bonder system shall be capable of face-up alignment and placement in addition to standard, face-down alignment and placement. The accuracy for face-up placement shall be of 5 microns or less. Better consideration shall be given to systems offering better face-up placement accuracy. High face-up placement accuracy enables a wider range of integrated photonic devices.

If such a system is being offered, please provide sufficient information to indicate that the system meets this requirement to include but not limited to technical data sheets or other ways of demonstrating

7. BONDING CAPABILITY

b. The automatic die bonder system shall be capable of providing a maximum bonding force of at least 2

Newtons. Better consideration will be given to systems offering wider force ranges. The machine will be a shared resource in the CNST nanofab. A wider force range is desirable since it will enable a wider variety of projects where it may be applied.

If such a system is being offered, please provide sufficient information to indicate that the system meets this requirement to include but not limited to technical data sheets or other ways of demonstrating

7. BONDING CAPABILITY

c. The automatic die bonder shall be capable of reading the applied force within the full offered operating range, with an uncertainty of 2 % or less of the full scale. For example, if the offered force range is between 0.2 N and

10 N, the force readout uncertainty shall be of +/- 0.1 N.

Better consideration will be given to systems that offer lower measurement uncertainties. Low measurement uncertainty is important to ensure good comparability between samples and runs.

that the system meets this requirement to include but not limited to technical data sheets or other ways of demonstrating

9. AUTOMATIC OPERATION AND CALIBRATION

b. The control software shall be able to perform automatic die-to-substrate alignment based on a wide range of alignment mark types. Better consideration will be given to software with alignment based on machine vision techniques, which are known to work for wide-ranging user-provided alignment patterns. Such capability is important to allow high bonding accuracy to be achieved for the widest possible range of device types.

that the system meets this requirement to include but not limited to technical data sheets or other ways of demonstrating

11. INSTALLATION SPACE

a. The equipment shall be installed in an ISO 14644 class

5 (FED 209 class 100) cleanroom space with a raised floor and a VC-C vibration standard subfloor. Nitrogen, compressed air and house vacuum outlets are available in an adjacent chase. The raised floor is 25 inches (62.5 cm) above the subfloor.

Because modifications to the cleanroom space, including walls, raised floor and subfloor, and exhaust and electrical installations come at a significant premium, better consideration will be given to systems that require fewer additional facility needs to meet all specifications, beyond what is available in

Better consideration will be given to systems that require no connections to a cleanroom exhaust in order to be operated and meet all specifications without degradation to the surrounding class 100 clean environment. Better consideration will be given to systems that require fewer or no modifications to the cleanroom raised floor and subfloor in order to be operated and meet all specifications, including replacement or modification of raised floor tiles, reinforcement of the raised floor supporting substructure, and installation of vibration isolation pedestals on the subfloor to support the instrument.

the cleanroom.

that the system meets this requirement to include but not limited to technical data sheets or other ways of demonstrating

Factor 2- Past Performance

In assessing the Contractor's past performance information, NIST will evaluate, as appropriate, successful performance of contract requirements; quality and timeliness of delivery of goods and services;

communications between contracting parties; and proactive management and customer satisfaction.

Evaluation of this factor will be based on information contained in the past performance portion of the quote, CPARS, and information provided by references. The Government will evaluate past performance information by contacting appropriate references, including NIST references, if applicable. The

Government may also consider other available information in evaluating the Contractor’s past performance. The Government will assign a neutral rating if the Contractor has no relevant past performance information.

Factor 3- Price: The proposed price will be evaluated. The evaluation will determine whether the proposed prices are reasonable in relation to the solicitation requirements. Prices must be proportionate with the technical portion of the quotation.

Please note that this procurement IS NOT being conducted under the GSA Federal Supply

Schedule (FSS) program or another Government-Wide Area Contract (GWAC). If a contractor submits a quotation based upon an FSS or GWAC contract, the Government will accept the quoted price.

However, the terms and conditions stated herein will be included in any resultant Purchase Order, not the terms and conditions of the contractor’s FSS or GWAC contract.

PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES:

The provisions and clauses applicable to this solicitation are identified in Attachment 2 titled “Provisions and Clauses”. The full text of a Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision or clause may be accessed electronically at www.acquisition.gov/far. The full text of a Department of Commerce

Acquisition Regulation (CAR) provision or clause may be accessed electronically at https://www.acquisition.gov/car.

ATTACHMENTS:

The following attachments apply to this solicitation:

• Attachment 1: Statement of Requirements

• Attachment 2: Provisions and Clauses http://www.acquisition.gov/far https://www.acquisition.gov/car