Photomask Substrates

BACKGROUND

NIST has a need for three lock-in amplifiers that meets or exceeds the following draft minimum specifications:

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) -Boulder has a state-of-the-art research laboratory to support the most sensitive research done at NIST. Included in this building is a Class 100 microelectronics fabrication facility, called the Boulder Micro-Fabrication Facility (BMF). The BMF patterns and utilizes master photomask substrates to fabricate microelectronics circuits.  These photomask substrates are patterned in-house using our optical pattern generator using photomask substrates, and then are used in the optical wafer stepper to transfer the pattern onto the wafer being processed.  Our current stepper requires 6”  photomask substrates made to exacting semiconductor standards (SEMI Spec SEMI P1-0708).  These photomask substrates consist of a 6” square transparent substrate (soda-lime glass) coated with a Chromium (Cr) based opaque material and photoresist.

The goal of this contract is to provide the BMF with an initial order of 80 to 320 photomask substrates, depending on the Government’s needs. Provide the BMF with a mechanism to procure photomask substrates as the need arises. Provide all new items.  Refurbished plates are not acceptable.

Description:  Photomask substrates

Quantity: minimum of 400 photomask substrates and a maximum of 1520 photomask substrates.

Specifications:

1. 1. 1. 1. The contractor shall supply the Government with photomask substrates that conform to SEMI Spec SEMI P1-0708: “SPECIFICATION FOR HARD SURFACE PHOTOMASK SUBSTRATES”.
         2. Material:  Soda lime glass
         3. Size:  Min 151.6 mm Max 152.4 mm (nominal 6”)
         4. Thickness: 3.05 +/- 0.1 mm (nominal 0.12”)
         5. Squareness: < 8 parts/thousand
         6. The following must be met in a circle of quality of 100 mm diameter
            1. Flatness:   15 mm or better
            2. Cr nominal thickness: 95 nm -115 nm
            3.    Cr thickness variation: < 10 nm
            4. Optical density:  > 3 @ 365 nm
            5. Pinholes: 0 > 5mm
            6. Photoresist: AZ1350 or equivalent – 500 nm thick
            7. Surface particles:  0 > 10 mm:

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.

• Whether your company is an authorized reseller of the product or service being cited and evidence of such authorization.
• 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

• 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.
• If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS 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 and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received by 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on July 11, 2024.  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.