DRAFT SOO for RFI.docx

RF VACUUM ELECTRONICS INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES (SOO)

1. Purpose

The Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL’s) Vacuum Electronics Amplifier R&D Program requires Research and Development (R&D) Support Services in the areas of engineering, design, fabrication, and testing support for novel amplifier configurations and related components that will advance the state of the art in power, bandwidth, efficiency, and compactness of devices in the microwave and millimeter wave range. A key requirement is to ensure fabrication feasibility and ultimately enable the efficient manufacturing of devices incorporating the new concepts, which may be generated by NRL or contractor personnel. The contractor must apply proven engineering and fabrication methodology to the maximum practical extent while modifying existing or devising new procedures as necessary to accommodate new design features or materials and establish manufacturing viability.

2. Scope

The contractor shall work with NRL personnel to evaluate new device concepts, perform engineering and design studies to establish optimal fabrication and assembly techniques, and fabricate and test prototype devices to validate the designs. The contractor is responsible for ensuring that the selected approaches and materials satisfy all the specified mechanical tolerances and are compatible with the voltage, current, and power levels as well as the thermal loads encountered during operation. The contractor is responsible for demonstrating the performance of the devices and providing documentation regarding their fabrication, processing, operation, and performance.

3. Performance Objectives

The contractor shall provide all technical, engineering, and fabrication expertise and services necessary to design, develop, fabricate, and test innovative vacuum electronic amplifiers and related components that advance the state of the art. The contractor shall meet the performance objectives of the following three categories:

3.1. High Power Density Amplifiers

The contractor shall evaluate key enabling technologies in which it has demonstrated unique capabilities (e.g., distributed electron beams for low voltage and high current operation, miniature high-brightness cathodes, compact magnetic focusing, and multistage depressed collectors) for development of prototype amplifiers in the millimeter wave regime that increase one or more key performance metrics by factors of two or more from the existing state of the art. Important metrics are power-bandwidth product, specific power (power per unit size and weight), and efficiency. The contractor shall apply its previously developed engineering and fabrication expertise and methodology to generate detailed designs and ultimately prototypes of amplifiers that incorporate this new technology. Furthermore, the contractor shall provide details of these designs to NRL scientists and engineers to allow comprehensive simulations to be performed to verify performance meets established goals. For those devices selected to proceed to prototype development, the contractor shall apply its demonstrated expertise in vacuum electronic amplifier manufacturing to establish efficient, high-yield fabrication and assembly techniques and develop all fixturing and tooling required to assemble the prototype to the necessary level of precision. Finally, the contractor shall test the prototype(s) at its facilities and document the results of the fabrication and testing in a detailed report.

3.2. High Frequency and High Power Components and Technologies

The contractor shall devise new and improved components and technologies that are key enablers for improved amplifier power and performance. Important examples are high-power, broadband windows and couplers; precision assembly techniques; high-power, fast acting RF switches; and new materials and techniques for high-power handling and thermal management. The contractor shall apply its previously developed engineering and fabrication expertise and methodology to generate detailed designs and ultimately prototypes of these new components and technologies. Furthermore, the contractor shall provide details of these designs to NRL scientists and engineers to allow comprehensive simulations to be performed to verify performance meets established goals. For those devices and technologies selected for full development, the contractor shall apply its demonstrated expertise in vacuum electronic amplifier and component manufacturing to establish efficient, high-yield fabrication and assembly techniques and develop all fixturing and tooling required to assemble prototypes and validate technologies to the necessary level of precision. Finally, the contractor shall test the components and technologies at its facilities and document the results of the fabrication and testing in a detailed report.

3.3 Spectrally Efficient Amplifiers

The contractor shall extend its development of key technologies in which it has demonstrated unique capabilities (e.g., broad bandwidth multiple beam klystrons) to further minimize the out-of-band spectral spillage while enhancing the in-band performance of microwave amplifiers which must operate in highly congested electromagnetic environments. The contractor shall apply its previously developed engineering and fabrication expertise and methodology to generate detailed designs and ultimately prototypes of amplifiers that incorporate this improved technology. Furthermore, the contractor shall provide details of these designs to NRL scientists and engineers to allow comprehensive simulations to be performed to verify performance meets established goals. For those devices selected to proceed to prototype development, the contractor shall apply its demonstrated expertise in vacuum electronic amplifier manufacturing to establish efficient, high-yield fabrication and assembly techniques and develop all fixturing and tooling required to assemble the prototype(s) to the necessary level of precision. Finally, the contractor shall test the prototype(s) at its facilities and document the results of the fabrication and testing in a detailed report.

4. Program Management

The contractor shall provide monthly status and financial reports to program leads with In-Process Reviews for all objectives as requested.

5. Documentation The contractor shall prepare documentation related to the design, fabrication, operation, and performance of the devices.

6. Operating Constraints

a. Management and Reporting

1. Employ appropriate life cycle management processes to ensure government investment is adequately administered

2. Use Standard project management tools and reporting procedures

3. At a minimum, the contractor shall account for the following CDRLs:

b. Security Requirements

All contractor employees will adhere to all established safeguards, as well as protect all forms of restricted data.

7. Desirable Outcomes

At a minimum, the devices and technologies developed must significantly advance the state of the art in performance (including power, bandwidth, efficiency, and spectral content), size and weight, or manufacturability (including yield, cost, and production time), without degrading any of the other metrics. The goal is to increase at least one of these metrics by a factor of two over comparable commercially available devices or to achieve significant advances (25 – 50% improvements) in all three metrics.

8. Place of Performance

The contractor shall perform work on this contract at the Contractor’s Site.

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