DARPA-SN-15-59_USC-ISI__29July2015_Final_for_Posting.pdf

DARPA‐SN‐15‐59

Notice of Intent to Award a Sole Source Contract for

Circuit Realization at Faster Timescales (CRAFT) (FinFET Foundry/Design Aggregation Services) to The University of Southern California, Information Science Institute

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Contracts Management Office (CMO), on behalf of the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO), intends to award an approximately 3 year sole source contract to the University of Southern California, Information Science Institute (USC/ISI, including

MOSIS) in Marina del Ray, CA in support of the DARPA Circuit Realization at Faster Timescales (CRAFT) program.

The objective of CRAFT is to develop tools to revolutionize the design and fabrication of custom integrated circuits more efficiently to enable high performance electronic solutions faster and with more flexibility.

To accomplish this goal, CRAFT addresses several technical paths: (1) aims to reduce custom integrated circuit design and fab cycle time by 10X at target performance through automation of design flow using new software tools and concepts; (2) aims to enable 50% reuse of critical DoD integrated circuit modules through building a regulated design intellectual property (IP) repository system; and (3) aims to enable flexibility of chip fabrication through the demonstration of either porting a specific technology node from one foundry to another or migrating from one design node to another design node at the same foundry.

A Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) that details the program technical paths is expected to be released in the upcoming months.

In order to accomplish the technical goals of CRAFT, custom integrated circuits will be built using the leading‐edge CMOS process node, specifically FinFET technology, due to the significant density, performance, and power advantages it provides. To access this advanced technology node, CRAFT will need to provide university, government laboratories, and the DoD community FinFET foundry access. This access will be carried out with dedicated and foundry‐driven FinFET multi‐project wafer (MPW) shuttle runs over a period of three years at a chosen commercial foundry. Due to the number of participants anticipated in a FinFET MPW shuttle run, a design aggregation service with prior experience in working with leading‐edge technologies is critical. It is important to have an infrastructure to support this new

FinFET technology and this unique service will be provided by USC/ISI. USC/ISI has historically provided these leading‐edge services for various DoD programs when new technologies were introduced. It will act as the primary interface between the foundries and customer, and will collect individual designs, produce an aggregation of these designs to create the floorplan for the full mask set, and will insert MOSIS designed test structures to provide vital early assessment of the designs.

Additionally, USC/ISI will select and provide the interface with the foundries, train DoD and university designers in use of the technology, answer technical questions regarding the technology, and maintain and distribute the ancillary tools and models provided by the foundry. USC/ISI is in a unique position to provide the design aggregation and interface service because it has the ability to work with classified design data and has extensive experience in assisting design teams in the development and integration of technologies at the FinFET technology node that CRAFT will utilize. It also has an automated infrastructure that provides automated and fast release of process design kits (PDKs) to MPW shuttle run users.

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.” This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals and no solicitation is currently available. However, all responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or a quotation within fifteen (15) days after publication of this notice, which shall be considered by the agency. All such responses shall be submitted to the Defense Advanced

Research Projects Agency, via email, to DARPA‐SN‐15‐59@darpa.mil. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.

Primary Point of Contact:

Michael Blackstone Contracting Officer DARPA Contracts Management Office DARPA‐SN‐15‐59@darpa.mil

Secondary Point of Contact:

Dr. Linton Salmon Program Manager Microsystems Technology Office DARPA‐SN‐15‐59@darpa.mil