Sources Sought Notice for Copper See-through Wafer for SEM-based Overlay Metrology

The purpose of this sources sought notice is to conduct market research and identify potential sources of commercial products/services that satisfy the Government’s anticipated needs.

BACKGROUND

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML), Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division (MND), CHIPS R&D Program (https://www.nist.gov/chips/metrology-community) as part of the CHIPS Act activities, is now developing imaging and measurement solutions for integrated circuit (IC) overlay metrology using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). IC production relies on measurements of the 3D size, shape, and placement of structures with atomic-level precision and repeatability. The project will create a sound scientific foundation and comprehensive solutions for SEM-based overlay and dimensional metrology superior to currently used arbitrary methods. This will allow the design of overlay patterns, acquisition, and image analysis to be optimized entirely through artificial intelligence, physics-based simulation, and modeling and meet IC production requirements now and in the future.

NIST MND requires a wafer relevant to current IC technologies suitable for the SEM overlay measurements of Cu lines that can be covered with various Si oxide layers. Although this sample only approximates the complete overlay structure, it can be used to assess the advantage of using the physics of signal generation over simplistic methods that are not based on a physics model. The wafer containing many full-size chips will be diced into individual chips that will be covered by various thickness Si oxide layers at NIST NanoFab. The process will create a set of see-through overlay metrology samples needed for the SEM overlay metrology project. 

NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a commercial solution that will achieve the objectives described above, in addition to the following essential requirements: 

For the SEM overlay metrology project, NIST requires a 300 mm Si wafer sample of a set of chips with Cu damascene patterns suitable for research and development efforts to evaluate the feasibility of physics-based simulations and AI-based modeling as the means to improve the performance of SEM-based overlay metrology. 193 nm lithography shall be used to create the overlay metrology patterns. It is also advantageous, but not required to place other than overlay dimensional metrology patterns on the chips. All chips across the wafer shall be made identical, naturally occurring small variations due to fabrication processes are permitted.

Specifically, the Contractor shall provide one wafer containing at least 12 chips with the following overlay metrology parameters:

1. Cu damascene patterns with box-in-box (BiB), image-based overlay (IBO), advanced imaging metrology (AIM) grating patterns, and Hitachi-type SEM-based overlay (SBO). Pattern design can be found in pertinent public literature; see, for example, [1] or elsewhere.

2. Sets of varying size BiB, IBO, AIM and SBO overlay metrology patterns must be included in the less than 150 mm to smaller than 50 mm range.

3. Overlay patterns with intentional, small, close to 1, 2, 5, and 10 nm variations of known overlay offsets (shifts) must be provided.

4. The wafer must be covered with a protective layer to safeguard the integrity of the Cu patterns.

5. A GDSII-based map with pattern locations and properties (size, type, offset, etc.) identification must be provided.

6. Documentation about the wafer material, dopant type and concentration, and the patterning process shall be provided.

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 in this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice.  Please note that to be considered for award under any official solicitation, the entity must be registered and “active” in SAM at the time of solicitation response.

• 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).

• Identify the equipment that your company sells that can meet the objectives addressed in the BACKGROUND section of this notice.  For each product recommended to meet the Government’s requirement, provide the following:
  • Manufacturer name
  • Model number
  • Technical specifications
  • If your company is not the manufacturer, provide information on your company’s status as an authorized reseller of the product(s)

• Describe performance capabilities of the product(s) your company recommends to meet the Government’s requirements.  Additionally, if there are other features or functions that you believe would assist NIST in meeting its objectives described above, please discuss in your response.
  • Discuss whether the equipment that your company sells and which you describe in your response to this notice may be customized to specifications and indicate any limits to customization.

• Identify any aspects of the NIST market research notice, including instructions, and draft minimum specifications in the BACKGROUND section you cannot meet and state why.  Please offer suggestions for how the market research notice and draft minimum specifications could be made more competitive.

• State whether the proposed equipment is manufactured in the United States and, if not, state the name of the country where the equipment is manufactured.

• Identify any plans/possibilities for changes in manufacturing location of the aforementioned equipment and provide relevant details, including timeline.

• For the NAICS code listed in this notice:

• • 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. 

• Describe services that are available with the purchase of the aforementioned equipment from your company such as installation, training, and equipment maintenance.

• Describe standard terms and conditions of sale offered by your company for the recommended equipment such as: delivery time after your company accepts the order; FOB shipping terms; manufacturer warranty (including details regarding nature and duration); if available, description(s) of available extended warranty; equipment setup and test; operator and service instruction manual(s); cleanup after installation; and if applicable, other offered services.  Provide a copy of manufacturer standard terms and conditions that typically relate to the sale of the specified equipment, if available.

• State whether your company offers facility renovation services related to installation of the recommended equipment at its delivery destination, if required per the NIST-identified minimum specifications, and provide description of said services.  Indicate if your company performs the facility renovation services or typically subcontracts the work to another company.  Indicate if your company would be interested in inspecting the intended installation site during the market research phase.

• State published price, discount, or rebate arrangements for recommended equipment and/or provide link to access company’s published prices for equipment and services. 

• If the recommended equipment and related services are available for purchase on any existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts against which NIST may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.

• Identify any customers in the public or private sectors to which you provided the recommended or similar equipment.  Include customer(s) information: company name, phone number, point of contact, email address.

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

• State if you require NIST to provide additional information to improve your understanding of the government’s requirement and/or would like to meet with NIST representatives to discuss the requirement and the capabilities of the identified equipment.

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 5 days prior to the response date. If the Contracting Officer determines that providing a written amendment to this notice to document question(s) received would benefit other potential respondents, the questions would be anonymized, and a written response to such question(s) would be provided via an amendment to this notice.

IMPORTANT NOTES

This notice is for market research purposes and should not be construed as a commitment by NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract.  There is no solicitation available at this time.

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response.

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

Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s capability.

Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.

After a review of the responses received, a synopsis and solicitation may be published on GSA’s eBuy or SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered an adequate response to any such solicitation(s).

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