Sources Sought.pdf

Last updated 2/13/2017

(1) Action Code : SOURCES SOUGHT

This is a Sources Sought Notice only. This is not a request for proposal, but a survey to locate potential sources. This Sources Sought does not constitute an Invitation for Bids, Request for Proposals or a Request for Quotations, and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue an order or otherwise pay for the information solicited, nor is it a guarantee of a forthcoming solicitation or contract. It is for market research purposes only. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.

The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to gain knowledge of interest, capabilities, and qualifications of various members of industry, to include the Small Business Community: Small Business, Section 8(a), Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUB-Zone), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Women- Owned Small Business (WOSB), and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB). The Government must ensure there is adequate competition among the potential pool of responsible contractors. Small business, Section 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, & EDWOSB businesses are highly encouraged to participate.

(2) Date: 06 July 2021

(3) Classification Code: 66

(4) NAICS Code: 334413

(5) NAICS Size Standard: 1,250 Employees

(6) Contracting Office Address: 2800 Powder Mill Road Bldg. 601 Adelphi, Maryland 20783

(7) Subject: Sources Sought for one (1) Hall Measurement System

(8) Proposed Solicitation Number: W911QX21Q0159

(9) Sources Sought Closing Response Date: 06 July 2021

(10) Contact Point: Jonathan Chattler, Contract Specialist, jonathan.r.chattler.civ@mail.mil

(11) A. Objective:

To find sources that are qualified to meet the supplies/services as listed in section 11B. Note that the specific requirements in section C are subject to change prior to the release of any solicitation.

mailto:jonathan.r.chattler.civ@mail.mil

B. Salient Characteristics:

Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) 0001: The Contractor shall deliver one (1) Hall Measurement System with a magnetic field up to three (3) Tesla, a sample holder to accommodate a ten (10) millimeter (mm) sample, and an automated measurement of the Hall Effect parameters. The system's electronics must also be programmable to allow various electrical measurements in the presence of a magnetic field. The complete machine shall be fabricated, tested, and verified to be compliant with the below specifications at the vendor’s facility prior to being shipped to, installed, and fully operational at the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in Adelphi, Maryland before Government acceptance. The machine shall fulfill the following minimum specifications:

• Shall include an electromagnet with an indexable air gap between the poles, so that the air gap can be switched into indexed positions and the magnetic field parameters and settings will be repeatable for each index. The available indexed air gaps shall include 10+/-3 mm, 25+/-5 mm, and 50+/-8 mm.

• Shall include a maximum magnetic field of at least three (3) Tesla at the air gap between the poles of seven (7) mm or larger. The magnetic field shall include a uniformity of +/-0.5% or better over one (1) cubic centimeter (cm3) in the center between the magnet poles.

• Shall include a bipolar magnet power supply. The main Hall system software on the computer shall be able to control the magnetic field continuously from the maximum field to the maximum in the reverse direction.

• Shall include a closed loop field control. The system shall have a magnetometer and control mechanism linked to the magnet power supply, which will set precisely the desired magnetic field based on the magnetometer reading and will keep the field stable over time.

• Shall include sample holder cards for Hall measurements in the Van der Pauw configuration (four (4) probes) with spring loaded contact clips. The system shall also include sample holder cards with a minimum of six (6) soldered contact pads on each card. The Van der Pauw cards shall hold 5 x 5 x 0.5 mm sample plates with spring loaded contact clips making top contacts at the corners. The system shall include a magnet insert attachment to hold the sample card between the magnet poles. The maximum achievable magnetic field shall be at least 2.2 Tesla with the sample holder card and its insert attachment in place between the magnet poles. The electrical leads on the sample cards shall be guarded against external electromagnetic noise and current leakage.

• Shall include measurement hardware, computer, and software to perform automated Hall Effect measurements in Van der Pauw geometry from a sample mounted on the sample card in the magnet system. The measurement hardware, computer, and software shall be capable of completing Hall analysis in less than one (1) minute without the need of the magnetic field reversal.

• Shall allow the user to write and execute his/her own custom programs (scripts) to be able to perform electrical measurements in the presence of a magnetic field at set voltages and currents. The software and the hardware shall allow the user to measure voltages and currents on the sample with fixed or swept parameters, such as magnetic field (e.g. V_Hall vs. field sweep), time (e.g. V_Hall vs time graph in constant field i.e. the voltage stability test), current (e.g. V_Hall vs I_Hall graph). The system shall ensure the scripts and sequences can be saved for routine use. The system and the software shall allow the user to program third party instruments integrated with the system by the end user.

• Shall have the ability to measure low Hall charge carrier mobility within the range extending down to the value of 0.01 square centimeter by volt times seconds (cm2/V*s) at room temperature.

• Shall have the ability to measure samples with two (2)-terminal resistances up to two hundred (200) GigaOhm at room temperature.

• Shall include capability for supplying an auxiliary, external Direct Current (DC) bias or current to the mounted sample through the sample holder card.

• Shall include a fitted magnet insert part for Elevated Temperature (ET) operation, which has an enclosed sample holder with at least four (4) electrically connected metal clips to contact 5x5 mm sample wafers without the need to solder or wirebond. The elevated temperature sample holder enclosure shall be pumped out by a mechanical pump to approximately 100 millitorr (mTorr). The temperature operation range shall be from 310⁰ Kelvin

(K) to 1200 ⁰K. Shall have the ability to fill in the sample enclosure of the ET insert by an inert gas after pumping it out. Shall have the maximum achievable magnetic field of at least 1.5 Tesla with the ET insert and the sample card in place between the poles. Shall have the capability of a variable temperature control of the sample in the ET insert attachment. Shall have the temperature control that is integrated into the main software that performs the automated Hall measurements, so that temperature readings can be recorded together with the Hall data.

• Shall include one (1) user manual/reference guide.

• Shall include an extended five (5) year warranty that will cover all the parts of the system, including both the products produced by the Contractor and the products purchased by the Contractor from other vendors.

CLIN 0002: The Contractor shall provide one (1) license for software for the Hall Measurement System that meets the following minimum specifications and is valid for a minimum of five (5) years:

• Shall provide software that is compatible with Windows 10 Operating System for working offline with the capability to export data files with the results of the measurements on the Hall system. The preferred exported data file formats are Microsoft Excel, comma-separated values (CSV), and plain text.

• Shall provide updates to the software, at no additional charge, compatible with future updated versions of the Operating System for minimum of five (5) years.

• Shall provide one (1) user manual in English for the software.

CLIN 0003: The Contractor shall provide delivery, installation, setup, and re-testing at the Adelphi Laboratory Center (ALC) in Adelphi, MD 20783-1138 with the conditions specified below:

• Shall provide delivery to Adelphi Laboratory Center (ALC) truck shipments are accepted at Building #102, Receiving Room, 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, MD 20783-1138.

• Shall install the Hall Measurement System at 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, MD 20783-1138.

CLIN 0004: The Contractor shall provide a minimum of sixteen (16) hours over two

(2) days of on-site training at Adelphi Laboratory Center, Adelphi, Maryland for up to four (4) ARL employees/contractors on machine operation, provided software usage, and general maintenance.

CLIN 0005: The Contractor shall provide a Service Agreement that supports the following including, but not limited to, the identification of software issues, software updates, machine/hardware problems, trouble-shooting and technical support via phone for a minimum of one (1) year from the date of Government acceptance of machine. The Contractor shall include in the Service Agreement, four (4) hours of availability at a minimum between the hours of 8:00AM and 5:00PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) each day, Monday through Thursday, excluding federal holidays, for trouble-shooting and technical support appointments when needed by

ARL.

C. Responses:

All interested parties should notify this office in writing, mail, fax, or e-mail within the posted date. Responses shall include:

(I) To what extent each of the specifications can be met.

(II) Include your type of business (i.e. commercial, academia), whether your organization is classified as a large or small business based on the employee size standard that accompanies NAICS code 334516. If a small business, you must also list any small disadvantaged status you hold [HUBZone, 8(a), Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Women Owned Small Business (WOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB), etc.].

(III) Past experience/performance through the description of completed projects.

(12) Responses to this sources sought are due no later than 11:59AM eastern daylight time 06 July 2021. Submissions should be emailed to jonathan.r.chattler.civ@mail.mil. Mailed submissions can be sent to the address in block 6, ATTN: Jonathan Chattler.

Questions concerning this sources sought may be directed to Jonathan Chattler at jonathan.r.chattler.civ@mail.mil, (301) 394-3016. Please be advised that .zip and .exe files cannot be accepted.

(13) Place of Contract Performance: Contractor Facility

(14) Estimated Delivery Timeframe or Period of Performance: Not to exceed twelve (12) weeks after contract award

6/29/2021

X Ariel M. Amey

Contracting Officer (KO) Signed by: AMEY.ARIEL.M.1469952971 mailto:jonathan.r.chattler.civ@mail.mil mailto:jonathan.r.chattler.civ@mail.mil