JOFOC_ColdJet Dry Blaster_SAM.pdf

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD

Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition

“Dry Ice Blaster for Parylene Removal from FLASH Memory Modules”

JOFOC, Dry Ice Blaster for Parylene Removal from FLASH Memory Modules, Page 1 of 4

1. Program Office / Procurement Request:

Office of Research and Engineering, Materials Laboratory Division (RE-30)

2. Nature of Action:

The purpose of this Justification for other Than Full and Open Competition (JOFOC) is to provide documentation that explains why this requirement is to be awarded without competition to Cold Jet LLC (COLD JET) for one (1) Cold Jet i3 MicroClean dry ice blaster to support NTSB aviation accident investigations.

3. Description of Requirement:

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has a requirement for delivery and setup of one (1) COLD JET CO2 dry ice blasting machine to perform precision removal of Parylene conformal coating from printed circuit boards containing non-volatile FLASH memory devices.

4. Authority Cited:

FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), Soliciting from a single source. Contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name or industrial mobilization).

5. Unique Qualifications / Circumstances of Requirement:

In order to rework a damaged memory module and remove the FLASH memory chips for data readout and recovery, any conformal coating protecting the module must first be removed. Traditional conformal coating formulations typically have some avenue of chemical attack for removal of this coating without causing undue damage to the underlying electronic components.

Parylene conformal coating, however, is chemically inert and resistant to all known organic solvents up to 150° C. Conservation experiments have demonstrated pages from a book treated with Parylene immersed in 70% sulfuric acid remain intact and readable after removal from the bath 24 hours later. The only chemical attack of any efficacy appears to be Tetrohydrofuran immersion for several hours per micron coating thickness, followed by mechanical removal. This is only effective for large stretches of smooth featureless surfaces. The feature-rich and mechanically inaccessible areas around FLASH memory chips commonly used in crash protected memory modules are more problematic.

Other potential methods of Parylene remediation include the aforementioned mechanical removal by-hand under magnification, mechanical abrasion, heat softening, plasma etching, and laser ablation (from light accessible regions).

Plasma etching requires specialized equipment to break down precursor chemicals and generate a gaseous plasma of charged particles with the temperature, density, and energy characteristics required to break down bonds in the Parylene coating. This

JOFOC, Dry Ice Blaster for Parylene Removal from FLASH Memory Modules, Page 2 of 4 process can negatively effect the underlying components. Since plasmas are a collection of ionized gasses containing mobile charges, ensuring this process to be ESD1 safe is also an important technical consideration.

Laser ablation of bulk material can be performed using tools designed to perform removal of integrated circuit packaging to expose the silicon die for failure analysis purposes. Obviously, this has potential to mechanically compromise the FLASH memory chip itself. It also produces as a byproduct gasses and micro-particulates which must be sequestered and could represent potential ESD vectors. While there are tools and techniques designed to mitigate some of these issues, they can be expensive and adapting them to safely remove the conformal coating from a complex surface would present a unique design challenge for each case.

Micro-blasting is the most promising avenue for a high-throughput method adaptable to wide variety of complex surface geometries and conditions. A large variety of abrasive media is available for use depending on the application. One major concern when using dielectric abrasives for the blasting medium is the potential for ESD generation. While some particulate systems are now available that incorporate multiple ESD-mitigation strategies, the efficacy of these systems has not been internally evaluated for the removal of Parylene from inaccessible areas under and behind the pins of a TSOP2 package without spiking local ESD levels or damaging the pins and underlying PCB. Another concern is the selection, management, and disposal of residual abrasives material – which cannot be re-used. Most of these concerns can be mitigated by the use of CO2 ice as the blasting material – which this requirement addresses.

The Recorders Laboratory has an urgent need to develop a high-throughput method for the removal of the Parylene conformal coatings increasingly used in the aerospace industry. As the use of these coatings becomes more ubiquitous, the likelihood increases that a simultaneous occurrence of multiple high-profile accidents requiring Parylene remediation could seriously task the current capabilities of the Lab.

The decision to award a sole source contract is because the Cold Jet i3 MicroClean dry ice blaster is the only known equipment that meets NTSB’s requirement. The only known source of this instrument is from COLD JET. The NTSB has an urgent need to perform work in a timely and responsive manner by replicating a known effective process for accomplishing this work that can be duplicated in the NTSB Recorder Laboratory using the equipment to be acquired.

1 Electro-Static Discharge. Movement of charged particles can cause a large buildup of high potential between two objects in close proximity which can result in dielectric breakdown of the intervening medium. The common static-electrical air discharge experienced on a dry day is one example. While the current involved is extremely low, the potential difference can be high enough to nevertheless result in damage the thin oxide layers inside a FLASH memory integrated circuit; thus compromising the chip internally.

2 Thin Small Outline Package. A type of integrated circuit package commonly used in non-volatile FLASH memory devices intended for high density applications.

JOFOC, Dry Ice Blaster for Parylene Removal from FLASH Memory Modules, Page 3 of 4

6. Efforts to Determine Only One Source:

The NTSB conducted a week-long performance evaluation program using the same make and model Cold Jet i3 MicroClean dry ice blaster used by GE Aerospace for Paralyne removal from crash memory modules. During this time, testing was performed on the efficacy, speed, and safety of this technique using a variety of Parylene conformally coated memory modules and data storage devices produced by multiple manufacturers. These included:

• Internal memory module PCBs from the L-3 Communications family of cockpit voice and flight data recorders (FA-2100 series),

• Reworked internal memory module PCB from the GE Aerospace Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR),

• Internal memory module from marine Voyage Data Recorder (VDR),

• Universal Avionics CVR-120 internal memory module,

• Commercial CF Card (ESD test).

In all cases removal from PCBs was ultimately accomplished without apparent degradation to the TSOP FLASH memory integrated circuits. A survey of FLASH memory devices removed for read-out after using the Cold Jet i3 MicroClean dry ice blaster all read-out normally and retained usable binary data.

This Parylene removal experiment was conducted in a standard chemical fume hood using basic ESD mitigation protocols and tools currently available in the NTSB Recorder Laboratory. It was found that Parylene coating could be effectively removed from a PCB containing a complex of surface mounted components, through hole vias,3 and conductive trace layouts without overtly damaging or degrading the underlying FLASH memory chips. The processing time for initial removal of accessible Parylene coating was variable depending on the geometry of the area, the characteristics of the coating (subtype, thickness, and history of environmental exposure), and the blasting aggressiveness employed. In most cases, effective removal took on the order of minutes rather than hours. Removal from smooth areas free of micro-features could be extremely fast – on the order of seconds. Removal from less accessible areas (in-between and behind the pins of a TSOP integrated circuit) took much longer to perform with care and in many cases could not be done completely. Even so, this removal method was significantly less impactful to the undercoated parts than even manual mechanical removal under the microscope – provided the dry ice blasting stream remained clean, uniform, and free from water ice intrusion.

Dry ice blasting using the Cold Jet i3 MicroClean also aided significantly in the post-removal underside pin cleaning process. Parylene that could not be directly removed via blasting appeared to be desiccated or freeze-dried, resulting in material

3 A via is an electrical connection between two or more metallization layers of a multi-layer printed circuit boards (PCB). It is essentially a small hole drilled perpendicular to the plane of the PCB plated with a conductive metal to support inter-layer electrical connections for the circuitry being implemented. Standard vias can be a small as 0.2mm in diameter. Laser drilled micro-vias can range as small as 50-150 micrometers in diameter.

JOFOC, Dry Ice Blaster for Parylene Removal from FLASH Memory Modules, Page 4 of 4 characteristic changes that made the remaining underpin residue far more easily and cleanly removed using standard mechanical techniques under magnification. This significantly reduced the danger of damaging the FLASH memory chip when compared with processes that cause melting of the Parylene coating, and thus significantly reduced the time required to process a TSOP integrated circuit for readout.

In addition, in accordance with FAR 5.101(a)(1), a notice of this contract action will be posted electronically on the government-wide point of entry, the System for Award Management website (www.sam.gov) for (5) days. The notice shall state that all responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by the agency.

7. Contracting Officer’s Determination:

I have reviewed the above JOFOC, and determined that based on the information provided, it is accurate and complete, the anticipated cost of any subsequent sole source award would be in the best interest and fair and reasonable to the Government.

8. Market Research:

The Office of Research and Engineering (RE) conducted market research and based on the market research, only the “Cold Jet i3 MicroClean dry ice blaster” brand provides mission critical continuity in the laboratory and meet the NTSB needs.

9. Other Pertinent Information:

N/A

10. List of Interested Parties:

No other companies/organizations have expressed an interest in this requirement.

11. Efforts to Remove Barriers to Competition:

The NTSB will continue to monitor the market for new technologies and sources that can provide new advanced capabilities that meet or exceed requirements.

12. Contracting Officer’s Certification:

The Contracting Officer certifies that this JOFOC is accurate and complete.

http://www.sam.gov/