Simplified Acquisition Sole Source Justification (FAR 13.5) REDACTED.pdf

J&A Control No: JA-21-Adel-527 Contractor: Synopsys Inc.

Supply: TCAD Sentaurus TSL Licenses

JUSTIFICATION REVIEW DOCUMENT FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

FAR PART 13 SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR

OTHER THAN

FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Programs/Equipment: One (1) Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) Sentaurus Workbench Three (3) Year Technology Subscription License (TSL) for Subscription Period: 22-OCT-2021 to 21-OCT-2024.

Authority: 41 U.S.C. 1901(e)(2), implemented by FAR 13.501(a) -- Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

Amount: REDACTED

Prepared by: REDACTED Contracting Officer: Joseph Dellinger DSN: 394-0769 Contracting Officer Date: 09/01/2021 Email: joseph.m.dellinger2.civ@mail.mil

Technical: REDACTED

Requirements: REDACTED

Reviews: I have reviewed this justification and find it adequate to support other than full and open competition.

Program Manager:

X Program Manager

Supply: TCAD Sentaurus TSL Licenses

FAR PART 13 SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR

OTHER THAN

FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity: United States (U.S.) Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG), Adelphi Contracting Division, (CCAP-SCA), 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, MD 20783.

2. Description of Action: The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate (SEDD), requests a firm fixed price (FFP) contract with Synopsys, Inc., 690 E Middlefield Road, Mountain View, CA, 94043-4010. The Government projects award for September 2021 and fiscal year 2021/2022, Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) funds will be used.

_X_ An acquisition plan is not required because this procurement either does not meet the threshold at Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 207.103(d)(i), or is an R&D acquisition and does not meet the definition of services in 10 U.S.C. 2330(c)(2).

3. Description of Supplies/Services:

The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) requires the following Technology Subscription License (TSL) for the period of 22 October 2021 to 21 October 2024:

Material Number: 4347-0 One (1) Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) Sentaurus Workbench Three (3) Year TSL Subscription Period: 22 October 2021 to 21 October 2024

Material Number: 4352-0 Two (2) TCAD Sentaurus Device Three (3) Year TSL License Subscription Period: 22 October 2021 to 21 October 2024

Material Number: 4353-0 Two (2) TCAD Sentaurus Device Advanced

Material Number: 4354-0 One (1) TCAD Sentaurus Device DSM Three (3) Year TSL License

Material Number: 4355-0

Supply: TCAD Sentaurus TSL Licenses

Two (2) TCAD Sentaurus Device Compound

Material Number: 4357-0 One (1) TCAD Sentaurus Device 3D

Material Number: 4358-0 Four (4) TCAD Sentaurus Parallel

Material Number: 4359-0 One (1) TCAD Sentaurus Device EMW

Material Number: 4375-0 Two (2) TCAD Sentaurus Structure Editor Three (3) Year TSL License Subscription Period: 22 October 2021 to 21 October 2024

Material Number: 4376-0 One (1) TCAD Sentaurus Structure Editor 3D

Material Number: 9935-0 Two (2) TCAD Sentaurus Visual

Completion Date: 36 months after contract award Total Value: $ REDACTED

4. Authority Cited:

41 U.S.C. 1901(e)(2), implemented by FAR 13.501(a) -- Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

Supply: TCAD Sentaurus TSL Licenses

5. Reason for Authority Cited:

The EM Materials and Devices Branch within SEDD of the U.S. ARL requires the procurement of one (1) TCAD Sentaurus TSL from Synopsys Inc. Use of the TCAD Sentaurus TSL is required by a number of entities within SEDD, to include the following:

• EM Materials and Devices Branch within the Electromagnetic Spectrum Sciences Division (EMSS)

• RF Devices and Circuits Branch within the Electromagnetic Spectrum Sciences Division (EMSS),

• Advanced Electronics Branch within the Photonics, Electronics and Quantum Sciences Division (PEQS)

• ARL Center for Semiconductor Modeling (CSM)

All branches and the CSM are involved in the design, fabrication, processing, and testing of a wide variety of opto-electronic devices. The TCAD Sentaurus software will be used for the design and simulation of materials & devices required for Army strategic and tactical applications. Providing a priori information on the performance of opto-electronic devices will enable the optimization of the electronic devices to occur in the virtual performance space, rather than the resource intensive fabrication and testing space. The EO Materials and Devices Branch requires the software to guide the design and experimental process in the development of next-generation disruptive ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) detector technologies, while the RF Devices and Circuits Branch will be following a similar approach for predictive modeling of ultra-wide band gap diamond devices. The Advanced Electronics Branch requires the software for modeling non-volatile memory devices that are being explored for use within neuromorphic computing circuitry that aim to enable hardware-based acceleration of computation and new functionalities, such as cognitive sensing and autonomy, in multi-domain operations.

In order to meet mission requirements, the TCAD Software must meet the following minimum requirements:

1) Operate in a Linux (not Windows) operating system.

2) Simulating in three-dimensions (3D) the electro-magnetic characteristics of the opto-electronic device using the finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD).

The FDTD implementation must have the capability to illuminate the simulated device both uniformly (i.e. plane waves) as well as provide robust localized excitations (i.e. Gaussian-shaped beams).

3) Simulating in 3D the electrical performance of the opto-electronic device using the finite-element method (FEM). The implementation must include models for all of the appropriate physical mechanisms applicable to compound semiconductors and their devices, e.g., recombination mechanisms, support for heterostructures, non-uniform doping profiles.

4) Support for modeling non-volatile memory devices that make use of ferroelectric materials. Ferroelectrics require specialized materials models and algorithms to include their characteristic hysteresis in their polarization.

5) Scalability to extremely large structures (meshes), i.e. utilize algorithms and solvers developed and optimized specifically for 3D simulations/problems and be

Supply: TCAD Sentaurus TSL Licenses capable of simulating an extensive number of mesh cells/points (greater than 700 million FDTD cells and approximately up to five (5) million FEM mesh points).

6) Provide geometrically-based structure generate using a scripting language.

7) Extensive system scalability to multi-core architectures/clusters enabling increased functionality and simulation through-put incorporating a wide range of available numerical solvers fully optimized for large 3D problems.

The methods above are required in order to fully simulate opto-electronic device performance following a fitting parameter free approach that will allow the Government to accurately predict opto-electronic device performance directly benefitting current and future Army programs. It is required that the TCAD software is capable of simulating greater than REDACTED FEM mesh points because the Government will be performing 3D simulations of very large structures (imaging arrays) that will have extremely large meshes. Due to the nature of the simulations, they cannot be reduced in size without compromising the integrity or accuracy of the results. The Government will be simulating less mature material systems including but not limited to mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe), indium arsenide antimonide (InAsSb), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), InAs/InAsSb strained layer super lattices, indium gallium nitride (InGaN), silicon carbide (SiC), and diamond. Such simulations require geometrically-based structure generation capabilities. The TCAD software requires a 3D fitting parameter free approach to advance the next-generation of opto-electronic devices for mission critical applications.

For many similar reasons, the above methods are also required for modeling non-volatile memory devices that use ferroelectric materials. In addition to the ability to model large 3D device structures, the TCAD Sentaurus software has support for two critical models for ferroelectric materials that allow the Government to simulate non-volatile memories (ferrelectric field effect transistors (FeFETs), e.g.) at varied length scales. The first can be used to simulate large-scale devices and networks (arrays) of devices to have a complete 3D device-level description of how per-device variabilities and non-idealities can affect circuit-level figures of merit. The second, using a Landau-Ginzburg formalism for polarization, can be used to study how device scaling (shortening channel width/length, thinner dielectric and ferroelectric thickness) is affected by multi-domain formation in ferroelectric materials.

A comprehensive search (reference section 8 below) was performed and showed four

(4) companies that provide 3D TCAD software: Synopsys TCAD Sentaurus, Silvaco Victory, Crosslight Apsys, and COMSOL Multiphysics. However, of the four (4) companies identified Synopsys, Inc. is the only company capable of providing a system that provides scalability to extremely large structures while providing geometrically-based structure generation to multi-core architectures/clusters, which is not available from other companies. Therefore, Synopsys Inc. is the only company able to meet all of the Government’s minimum requirements.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition:

A synopsis was posted (see section 9) for 15 days but provided no responses or interested sources. Based on the market research performed by the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) (See Section eight (8)), REDACTED, three (3) additional companies (Silvaco, Crosslight, and COMSOL) were identified as capable of meeting some of the

Supply: TCAD Sentaurus TSL Licenses specifications for this requirement but they do not provide software that meets all of the required technical specifications. Below is a summary of what those contractors are able to provide:

Silvaco Victory software is:

(a) compatible with Linux (not Windows) operating system.

(b) principally designed for semiconductor device simulation, incorporating relevant physical models.

(c) able to simulate the optical and electrical performance of devices.

(d) a fully 3D code.

(e) scalable to multi-core computer systems.

(f) capable of simulating ferroelectric materials

Crosslight Apsys software is:

(a) principally designed for semiconductor device simulation, incorporating relevant physical models.

(b) able to simulate the optical and electrical performance of devices.

COMSOL Multiphysics software is:

(a) compatible with Linux (not Windows) operating system.

(b) able to simulate the optical and electrical performance of devices.

(c) able to provide point-like (not uniform) sources in optical simulator.

(d) able to allow device to be constructed using computer aided design (CAD) software.

(e) fully 3D code.

(f) scalable to multi-core computer systems.

Synopsys Inc. software is:

(a) compatible with Linux (not Windows) operating system.

(b) prinicipally designed for semiconductor device simulation, incorporating relevant physical models.

(c) able to simulate the optical (using FDTD to solve Maxwell’s equations) and electrical (using FEM to solve the dirft-diffusion equations) performance of devices.

(d) able to provide point-like (not uniform) sources in optical simulator.

(e) able to allow device to be constructed using computer aided design (CAD) software.

(f) fully 3D code.

(g) optimized for extremely large and complex devices.

(h) scalable to multi-core computer systems.

Based on the above findings, Synopsys Inc. is the only known company which can provide the necessary software capable of meeting all of the Government’s minimum requirements.

The commercial market will continue to be surveyed for competitors and this action will be conducted competitively if alternate vendors are identified that can meet this requirement. Should an alternate commercial source be identified, they would have to

Supply: TCAD Sentaurus TSL Licenses prove that they are capable of providing the correct licenses needed as required in this procurement. Until that time, this will be a sole source action with no effective competition applicable.

7. Actions to Increase Competition:

The Government will continue to perform market research as well as pursue web searches and hold discussions among the engineering community to help locate other sources that can supply the required software. The Government will continue to explore related technology efforts throughout the field as research in opto-electronic materials and devices continues. Actions taken to increase competition for future acquisitions of similar software by the Government will include but not be limited to drafting of detailed requirements for the proposed acquisitions, comprehensive market research to identify potential offerors, and when applicable, attendance at vendor equipment demonstrations at technical seminars and trade shows. Before future acquisitions, the market will be continually surveyed to determine whether another manufacturer has emerged that could meet the Government’s minimum requirements, thus justifying the need for full and open competition. If the Government becomes aware of other sources with the capability to meet Government requirements, then a determination will be made for suitable competition. If and when another source is discovered, the Government will technically evaluate the response against current systems, and if the new source is deemed superior, then the Government will seek a competitive action. Any known sources that can provide the Synopsys software will be sought after for competitive interest in the future.

8. Market Research:

Market research was conducted between 01 June 2021 and 30 July 2021 by REDACTED, Electronics Engineer with the Electromagnetic Spectrum Sciences Division of the SEDD Directorate at ARL with ten (10) years of experience in device modeling.

The market research techniques used consisted of internet searches and in some cases training/webinars of all companies providing 3D TCAD software for integrated electromagnetic and electrical semiconductor device simulation and reviewing market research efforts from contracts W911QX-18-P-0136 and W911QX-15-P-0455. Based on this investigation, a number of companies were found to provide software packages that provide 3D based simulations. These companies include:

1) SYNOPSYS TCAD SENTAURUS

2) SILVACO VICTORY

3) CROSSLIGHT APSYS

4) COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS

Based on the Government’s minimum requirements, Crosslight APSYS was immediately eliminated based on three (3) fundamental limitations:

Supply: TCAD Sentaurus TSL Licenses

1) APSYS is meant to be used with Microsoft Windows. A Linux version is available at additional cost, but it is limited to the "simulation kernel", and the Windows-based user interface is required in order to define/edit the structure, view the results, etc.

Additionally, APSYS was developed for small/medium sized projects to be performed at a desktop computer (one simulation at a time), not large-scale ones to be run on powerful workstations/clusters.

2) APSYS is available in a 32-bit and a 64-bit versions - but even with the 64-bit code the number of layers/regions/mesh point points possible is underpowered for the government’s needs.

3) Only Cartesian grids can be used - which, coupled with the previous limitations, makes 3D simulations impractical.

The SILVACO VICTORY software lacks the ability to provide advanced geometrically-based structure generation. Additionally, per SILVACO’s Vice President, Government Business Division from REDACTED, it is only able to run device simulations consisting of only several hundred thousand FEM mesh points which falls well short of the required five (5) million FEM mesh points. Finally, the SILVACO FDTD implementation does not provide Gaussian-shaped beams as an excitation source.

COMSOL Multiphysics does not meet all of the minimum requirements for the following reasons:

• Lacks some of the ability to provide scripting-language based, i.e. non-graphical user interface (GUI), advanced geometrically-based structure generation.

• Does not use FDTD to solve Maxwell’s equations.

• Does not include models for all of the appropriate physical mechanisms applicable to compound semiconductors and their device (instead relying upon the user to program them in manually).

• Lacks the ability to run device simulations with five (5) million FEM mesh points.

Only one (1) company was found, Synopsys Inc., which offers software capable of satisfying all of the Government’s requirements and meeting mission demands. To date, no other sources have been found that can provide the required software system that meets the Government’s minimum requirements.

9. Interested Sources:

A Notice of Intent to Sole Source was posted to SAM.gov on 12 August 2021, notifying the commercial market place of the Government’s intent to solicit and negotiate with Synopsys Inc. The synopsis response period closed on 27 August 2021. No vendors responded to the notice to either challenge the sole source or to show interest in competing for this requirement.

10. Other Facts:

a. Procurement History

Supply: TCAD Sentaurus TSL Licenses

Contract: W911QX18P0136 Contractor: Synopsys Inc.

Award Date: 24 May 2018 Period of Performance: 22-OCT-2018 to 21-OCT-2021 Dollar Value: $ REDACTED Competitive Status: Sole Source

Contract: W911QX-15-P-0455 Contractor: Synopsys Inc.

Award Date: 24 September 2015 Period of Performance: 30-OCT -2015 to 29-OCT-2018 Dollar Value: $ REDACTED Competitive Status: Sole Source

(1) Contract numbers and dates of the last several contracts for these same requirements.

The required software was also purchased from Synopsys, Inc under contract W911QX-18-P-0136 on 25 May 2018 and W911QX-15-P-0455 on 24 September 2015.

(2) The competitive status of these actions.

The prior contract was solicited as a Sole Source.

(3) Authority previously cited if less than full and open competition was used.

FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i) “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.”

(4) If a justification was prepared to support the procurement made before this one, a summary of the contents of paragraph 7 of the justification for that procurement and an explanation of the results.

It was important that the TCAD software was capable of simulating greater than 700 million FDTD cells and up to 5 million FEM mesh points because the Government would be performing 3D simulations of very large structures (imaging arrays) that would have extremely large meshes. Due to the nature of the simulations, they could not be reduced in size without compromising the integrity or accuracy of the results. The Government would have been simulating less mature material systems such as mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe), indium arsenide antimonide (InAsSb), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), indium gallium nitride (InGaN), Silicon Carbide (SiC), and diamond electronics. Such simulations required geometrically-based structure generation capabilities. The TCAD software required a 3D fitting parameter free approach to advance the next-generation opto-electronic devices for mission critical applications.

Supply: TCAD Sentaurus TSL Licenses

For many similar reasons, the above methods are also required for modeling non-volatile memory devices that use ferroelectric materials. In addition to the ability to model large 3D device structures, the TCAD Sentaurus software has support for two critical models for ferroelectric materials that allow the Government to simulate non-volatile memories (ferrelectric field effect transistors (FeFETs), e.g.)

at varied length scales. The first can be used to simulate large-scale devices and networks (arrays) of devices to have a complete 3D device-level description of how per-device variabilities and non-idealities can affect circuit-level figures of merit. The second, using a Landau-Ginzburg formalism for polarization, can be used to study how device scaling (shortening channel width/length, thinner dielectric and ferroelectric thickness) is affected by multi-domain formation in ferroelectric materials.

Consequentially, Synopsys Inc. was the only manufacturer that would meet the Government’s requirements. There were no identified actions to increase competition, as Synopsys TCAD Sentaurus is the only company that provides software meeting the minimum requirements.

(5) If any prior contract for this requirement was accomplished using full and open competition, include a detailed explanation of the changed circumstances causing this action to now limit the sources.

N/A

(6) An explanation of any unusual patterns that may be revealed by the history, e.g., several consecutive, urgent buys.

None

(7) If a justification was prepared to support the procurement made before this one, briefly describe the circumstances justifying the procurement and whether there have been any significant changes.

The rationale justifying the previous two (2) sole source contracts was the same as that identified in this document, except for the addition of COMSOL Multiphysics in this document. While other companies offer similar products, only Synopsys TCAD Sentaurus can meet the minimum technical requirements of this procurement.

c. Immediate acquisition of Synopsys Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) Sentaurus is required since the software is required for mission critical modeling activities pertaining to the FREEDOM Essential Research Program (ERP), Network C3I CFT, CSM, and Neuromorphic ARAP programs and our current Synopsys TCAD Sentaurus licenses expire on 21 October 2021. An interruption in service must be avoided. Note that acquisition is occurring in fouth (4th) quarter due to funds not becoming available until late July.

Supply: TCAD Sentaurus TSL Licenses

11. Technical Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signer’s Title: Electronics Engineer

Technical Certifier (Tech)

12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signer’s Title: Branch Chief

Requirements Certifier

13. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable.

This determination will be made using the following:

__ Cost analysis _X_ Price analysis __ Should-cost

_X_ IGE

__ Audit: (identify the audit type) __ Other: (identify the methodology or combination of methodologies that will be used)

As a part of this basis, certified cost or pricing data:

__ will be required.

_X_ will not be required and the following exception applies (FAR 15.403):

__ Prices that will be agreed upon are based on adequate price competition.

__ Prices that will be agreed upon are based on prices set by law or regulation.

Supply: TCAD Sentaurus TSL Licenses

_X_ A commercial item is being acquired.

__ A waiver has been granted by the head of the contracting activity (HCA) in accordance with DFARS PGI 215.403-1.

__ The contract action is a modification to a contract or subcontract for commercial item(s).

_X_ The estimated cost of the contract action is less than the threshold for certified cost or pricing data.

Contracting Officer (KO)

14. Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Supply: TCAD Sentaurus TSL Licenses

Approval

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of one (1) Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) Sentaurus Workbench three (3) Year Technology Subscription License (TSL) for Subscription Period: 22-OCT-2021 to 21- OCT-2024, for an estimate of $ REDACTED and for a subscription period of 22-OCT- 2021 to 21-OCT-2024, on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of 41 U.S.C. 1901(e)(2), subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services or supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

(End of Justification)