Notice of Intent to Sole Source – Deep Reactive Ion Etch (ICP-DRIE) Tool
Closed Special Notice Posted
- Solicitation number
- N00173-25-SSN-TJ01
- Agency
-
Office of Naval Research
Secretary of the Navy, Department of Defense
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 333242 Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing
- Place of performance
- United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Department of the Navy Office of Naval Research (ONR) through the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has issued a Notice of Intent to Sole Source for the procurement of an Inductively Coupled Plasma Deep Reactive Ion Etch (ICP-DRIE) tool. The agency intends to enter into a sole source firm fixed price contract with Oxford Instruments America, Inc. for this specialized semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The tool utilizes fluorine chemistries optimized for Bosch etch processes and is specifically designed for processing 100mm and 200mm silicon wafers. The notice was posted on June 24, 2025, and serves to notify the contracting community of the Navy's intent to proceed with a non-competitive procurement. This procurement falls under the Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing NAICS category and involves specialized semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
The Navy has determined that only Oxford Instruments can satisfy the agency's technical requirements for this sophisticated plasma etching system, which will be installed in the NRL's Building 250 Nano Science Institute Class 100 clean room facility. The specification includes comprehensive requirements for a high-density plasma etch source, multiple gas delivery systems supporting nine different process gases, temperature-controllable electrodes with cryo-cooling capabilities, and precise process control features. Any firm believing it can meet these requirements must submit written notification to the Contract Specialist within 15 days of the notice publication date (by July 8, 2025), accompanied by supporting evidence demonstrating comparable capabilities and developmental experience. While all responsible sources may submit capability statements, proposals, or quotations for consideration, the government retains sole discretion in determining whether to proceed with competitive procurement based on received responses. The procurement includes additional requirements such as a 12-month warranty, training for NRL personnel, and acceptance of a trade-in system.
Notice text
This Notice of Intent is not a request for competitive proposals. This is not a solicitation or request for offers. No solicitation package is available and telephone requests will not be honored. Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.
The U.S. Department of Navy, Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Contracting Division intends to enter into a sole source firm fixed price contract with Oxford Instruments America, Inc. in accordance with FAR 13.501(a) and 41 USC 1901 for the procurement of an Inductively Coupled Plasma - Deep Reactive Ion Etch (ICP - DRIE) tool using fluorine chemistries optimized for Bosch etch from Oxford Instruments. This tool was deemed available from the original source, Oxford Instruments.
This notice is being posted to meet the requirements of FAR Subpart 5.2 and DFARS 206.302-1. A solicitation will not be posted; however, any firm that believes it can meet this requirement may give written notification to the Contract Specialist within 15 days of publication of this announcement. Supporting evidence must be in sufficient detail to demonstrate the ability to provide comparable items and developmental experience. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered. However, a determination by the Government to compete the proposed procurement based on the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Specification_ICP-DRIE_.pdf |
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