Custom Magneto-resistive Sensors

NIST-SS26-CHIPS-35

PLEASE NOTE THIS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY

Title:  Custom Magneto-resistive Sensors

BACKGROUND

The NIST Sensor Science Division is responsible for advancing the measurement science, standards, and applications for sensing optical power, temperature, humidity, pressure, vacuum, flow, and related physical phenomena to support U.S. industry and trade.  Our laboratory performs measurements and calibrations using magnetic and infrared optical detectors, and we fabricate our own measurement systems around custom detectors optimized for use with these systems. The custom-designed magneto-resistive sensors to be purchased will be used as part of a scanning magnetic microscope we are developing for acquisition of 3D thermal images in semiconductor packages.

NIST requires fabrication of custom magneto-resistive sensors according to a design that meets our specifications. The contract will begin with initial design drawings from the manufacturer, and after review and modifications, the final design will be approved by both parties before fabrication begins. These sensors will be used for magnetic field detection in a scanning magnetic microscope we are developing for the CHIPS Metrology Project 03.12 (3D Thermal Imaging of Advanced Packages).

These are the minimum requirements are as follows:

Line Item 0001:

Custom Magneto-resistive Sensors Detailed Requirements

**The sensors delivered must be bare-die detectors, meeting the following specifications:

1) Frequency range

a) detectors must operate from DC to 100 kHz

b) 1/f knee must be at frequency of 1 kHz or below

2) Field sensitivity

a) £1 nT/(Hz)0.5 at 10 kHz

b) £1 nT/(Hz)0.5 at 1 kHz

c) £10 nT/(Hz)0.5 at 100 Hz

3) Operating conditions

a) The sensor must be able to operate in saturation fields up to 100 mT, where the saturating field can be DC or AC

b) Magnetometer, gradiometer, and Wheatstone bridge designs are all acceptable if they can meet all the specifications required

c) In-plane or perpendicular sensing are acceptable as long as all technical specifications are met

d) Operating temperature of at least 10 °C – 85 °C

4) Dimensions

a) Sensor size must be £ 2 mm x 2mm

b) It must be possible for the sensor to be placed within 1 mm of the surface of a device under test

5) Deliverable specifications

a) At least one wafer of sensors will be delivered (minimum 100 sensors), preferably diced into individual chips. In the bid, manufacturers have the option to quote the price for a second wafer, undiced.

b) Multiple designs can be fabricated on the wafer to test different geometries.  Single sensor designs are required, but linear arrays up to 50 devices are also possible

c) Sensors must be delivered according to the timeline in the Deliverables section, and the final wafer design must be approved by both parties before fabrication

d) Documentation of wafer sensor CAD, measured specifications, operation instructions must be provided.  Technical support must be offered for 1 year.

HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE

In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response.  Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed at the bottom of this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice.

•           Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).

•           Details about what your company is capable of providing that meets or exceeds NIST’s minimum requirements and its past experience with design and manufacture of magneto-resistive sensors. Any relevant past performance.

•           Identify any aspects of the description of the requirements in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or create unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your firm’s ability to fully participate in a procurement for such services and explain why.  Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses.

•           For the NAICS code

o          Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business.  See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.

o          If you believe the NAICS and/or Product Service Code code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS/PSC code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement.

•           If your firm has existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts for products or services against which the Department may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.

•           Describe your firm’s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the products or services described in Background section.

•           Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for the Government to know as part of its market research for this requirement.

•           Please let us know if you would like to engage to get a better understanding of the requirement or need additional information about the Government’s requirement for the products or services described in the Background section.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE

Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 12, 2025.  Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline.

IMPORTANT NOTES

The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that the NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future. 

This notice should not be construed as a commitment by the NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. 

This notice is not a request for a quotation. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations.

No award will be made as a result of this notice. 

NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.

NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate.

Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request.