DARPA-SN-20-49_MGM Phase 2_Sole Source Notice_4May2020.pdf

DARPA-SN-20-49

Notice of Intent to Award a Sole Source Contract for

Millimeter Wave GaN Maturation (MGM) to

HRL Laboratories LLC

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Contracts Management Office (CMO), on behalf of the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO), intends to award an approximately 24-month sole source follow-on Phase 2 contract to HRL Laboratories LLC of Malibu, CA for continuation of the Millimeter Wave GaN Maturation (MGM) program. Phase 1 activities are being performed under Contract Number HR001119C0006, which was competitively awarded under Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) No.

HR001118S0060 (MTO Office-wide). Under Phase 1 of MGM, HRL began maturing their RF and mm-wave GaN semiconductor technologies previously demonstrated during the DARPA NEXT program (Nitride Electronics NeXt-Generation Technology). The goal of Phase 2 is to further reduce the fabrication cycle time, improve the RF yield and reliability, further improve device models and the process design kit, and further increase the Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL). This GaN technology maturation will be accomplished through targeted process step improvements, process control monitors, several multi-project wafer (MPW) runs, and Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) design improvements by HRL at their Malibu, CA facility. The proposed contract action is for supplies or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under authority of FAR 6.302-1: "Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements" 10 U.S.C. 2304(c) (1). As a performer on the NEXT program HRL developed state-of-the-art GaN transistors with scaled gate lengths of 40 nm and demonstrated ft/fmax of 200/400 GHz. During Phase 1 of MGM, HRL updated design kits to support multiple CAD tools, supported MPW runs and reduced overall fabrication cycle time to support DoD customer engagements.

Additionally, HRL possesses certain facilities, expertise, and proprietary intellectual property/data required to carry out this follow-on research effort. This notice is NOT a request for competitive proposals and a solicitation is not currently available. Interested parties may identify their interest and capability, to include directly relevant past performance data, to meet the requirement by submitting a white paper and past performance data via email to DARPA-SN-20-49@darpa.mil. Responses received within fifteen (15) days after date of publication of this notice will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open basis is solely within the discretion of the Government.

mailto:DARPA-SN-20-49@darpa.mil

Primary Point of Contact:

Michael Blackstone Contracting Officer DARPA Contracts Management Office DARPA-SN-20-49@darpa.mil

Secondary Point of Contact:

Timothy Hancock Program Manager Microsystems Technology Office DARPA-SN-20-49@darpa.mil