WP Call 008_Infrared Camera Research and Engineering 1-10-24.docx

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

BAA: W56KGU-23-R-RTID White Paper Call 008 Topic #: HBB-01

BAA W56KGU-23-R-RTID

WHITE PAPER CALL 008

INFRARED CAMERA RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING (IR-CRE8)

Call Date: January 10 2024

This call for White Papers (WP) is under Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) W56KGU-23-R-RTID. The BAA was originally published on sam.gov on 01 November 2022 and amended on 28 November 2023. Respondents must refer to BAA number W56KGU-23-R-RTID, entitled “Research and Technology Integration (RTI) Directorate Broad Agency Announcement”, and it must be read in conjunction with this call for WP’s. All instructions set forth in the BAA W56KGU-23-R-RTID document apply to this call.

The RTI is issuing this call for WP’s in association with Topic # HBB-01, entitled “Electro-optic component development and sensor prototyping.” To be eligible for consideration and possible contract award, the technology or methodology shall be either basic research, applied research, advanced technology development not for a specific system/hardware, or demonstration and validation.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION:

Problem Statement:

The Army and broader Department of Defense (DoD) requires improved size, weight, performance, power consumption, and cost to meet the needs of many Soldier and other programs which depend on these sensors. Specifically, a smaller pixel in thermal infrared sensors will enable smaller die size for Video Graphics Array (VGA) and Super Extended Graphics Array (SXGA) formats leading to smaller optics, smaller package and lower cost. Pixel (focal plane array, FPA) and readout integrated circuit (ROIC) advancements are required to enable these developments. Further, electronics and camera module development are required to realize these gains, as well as standards generation and digital processing (e. g. image processing, digital signal processing, filtering, pre-processing for machine vision, shutterless non-uniformity correction (NUC), etc.). Sensitivity to different bands, including longwave and midwave infrared (LWIR and MWIR), is required depending on the application.

Access to additional technical details:

This call provides general public release requirements ONLY. Additional technical detail is available in Attachment 01 to this White Paper Call, entitled “Infrared Camera Research and Engineering. Attachment 01 is a controlled, containing Control Unclassified Information (CUI), therefore, is not available for general release. To gain access to the controlled document, you company/entity must be certified by the Joint Certification Program (JCP). To request download of the controlled attachment, you must click on the document title to request access. Please enter the reason for requesting access and with your JCP certification number and CAGE code. Once approved, you will be granted permission to access the controlled document. You may request access to the controlled document until February 24, 2024.

Information Sought:

RTI Directorate invites the uncooled infrared sensor Industry to submit white papers addressing the topic objectives (TOs), attachment 01. White papers need not address all TOs to be considered. Proposed objectives should be as severable as possible to allow funding of individual portions. Not all efforts chosen for funding will be funded at the start of a program. Additional interim prototypes deliverables on the way to the listed deliverables—e. g. having deliverables to show progress about once per 12 program months—are encouraged.

1. TO1: Deliver an initial small pixel imaging prototype device on or before end-Q3FY27.

2. TO2: Deliver a small pixel camera module on or before end-Q4FY28.

a.

3. TO3: Deliver an improved camera module on or before end-Q4FY30 showing progress toward “aspirational goals”. Progress need not be made toward all goals, nor does a goal need to be fully realized to be a successful effort. Proposers are encouraged to submit severable efforts to work towards various goals as appropriate. The camera module should provide improvements in these areas.

a. Format/ resolution

b. Frame rate

c. Figure of merit (FOM)

d. Calibration

e. Dynamic range

f. Pixel operability and array uniformity supporting low fixed pattern noise.

g. SWAP-C

h. Improved digital processing

4. TO4: Proposers may consider this part after addressing TO1 to TO3 but is not a priority and is subject to the availability of any funds. Deliver camera prototypes optimized for MWIR operation. TO4A focuses on larger pixel devices to be delivered on or before end-Q1FY27. TO4B focuses on smaller pixel devices to be delivered on or before end-Q4FY30. The intent is to leverage past development and development under other TOs as much as possible.

a.

5. TO5: Deliver by Q4FY26 a document with unlimited data rights describing a set of standards for the electrical integration of bolometer-based thermal and digital low light sensor modules. This should leverage and extend work of past government owned MIPI based standards. This work specifically excludes the mechanical interface of the camera package but should include at least an example physical instantiation of the electrical interface. TO5A focuses on describing the electrical interface and control signals between the camera module and external systems, frame grabbers, etc. TO5B is a secondary effort to extend this definition to describe the interface at the ROIC level, i. e. between the packaged focal plane and the camera core electronics.

When formulating a response to TO1–4, we invite offerors to include the following information to help us evaluate the risk associated with the fabrication approaches.

a) An estimate of the pixel structure dimensions. This includes length, thickness and width of any leg stricture that is suspending the detector over the substrate.

b) A description of the capability of the offeror and any subcontractor involved to fabricate the required pixel structures. Also, any difficulty in reliably doing so including a description of tool sets such as front-end lithography stepper/scanner specifications or make and model to be use, metrology tools available, and backend packaging.

c) Process for etching for reliably yielding clean well developed fine crisp structures.

AWARD INFORMATION:

1. ANTICIPATED AWARD DATE: April 30, 2024

2. ANTCIPATED FUNDING: Under this call, the Government intends to award up to two (2) awards with a Period of Performance (PoP) of ranging from twenty (24) month to up to 5 years (FY24-FY29). The option years are not guaranteed and are based on funding availability. The anticipated funding for this call is up to $15M for the total award ceiling, however, the Government reserves the right to award smaller or larger awards.

NOTE: This funding profile is an estimate only and not a contractual obligation for funding. All funding is subject to change due to Government discretion and availability. Potential respondents should be aware that due to unanticipated budget fluctuations funding in any or all areas may change with little or no notice. Awards under this call may vary depending on the proposed solutions to the objectives. The Government reserves the right to select all, part, or none of the WP’s received, subject to the availability of funds.

3. BAA TYPE: This is a call for WP’s only and will be governed by the “two-step” process described in the General Information of BAA W56KGU-23-R-RTID. Respondents that submit a proposal without first submitting a WP may not be eligible for award.

4. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: This Call should not exceed twenty (20) pages in length (single sided, single spaced, with 12-size font). The twenty (20)-page limitation does not include the Rough-Order-of-Magnitude (ROM) or the Cover Page. Refer to baseline BAA W56KGU-23-R-RTID for all other instructions on WP preparation, submission, and evaluation.

5. QUESTIONS DUE DATE AND TIME: Technical questions are due no later than January 24, 2024 - 3:00 pm EST or EDT via via email RTI Directorate BAA Mailbox listed below. Questions and answers will be posted to sam. gov.

Government will publish questions and answers received by industry to sam. gov, via a revision to this Data Call, per ADDENDUM 001, Technical Questions and Clarifications, herein.

6. WHITE PAPER DUE DATE AND TIME: WP’s are due no later than February 24, 2024 - 3:00 pm EST or EDT via email to the RTI BAA Mailbox. Comment by Dinh, Hanh T CIV USARMY DEVCOM C5ISR (USA): WP due date is 45 days from the WP release date

RTI BAA Mailbox: usarmy.apg.devcom-c5isr.mbx.rti-baa@army.mil

If the submission is classified, Offerors should contact the RTI BAA Management Team at the group mailbox for instructions on how to submit the WP, via appropriate methods/channels. The Government shall be informed, in writing, that a classified WP has been submitted, its title and to whom it was submitted to.

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE