Sources Sought Notice for external cavity diode laser

The semiconductor supply chain is global, specialized, and interconnected. Chipmakers do business with thousands of individual suppliers that provide the highly complex materials and tools used to produce semiconductors. To address the lack of full visibility into the semiconductors markets supply chain and R&D ecosystem gaps NIST will conduct the measurement science, or metrology, critical to the development of new materials, packaging, and production methods in chip manufacturing.  This purchase, which is part of CHIPS R&D work within the Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division within the Physical Measurement Laboratory is needed as part of our research on atomic layer deposition we will utilize a singly-resonant, continuous wave optical parametric oscillator. The Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division advances nanofabrication technologies and uses them to develop innovative integrated measurement microsystems.

            This optical parametric oscillator allows for the spectral translation of near-infrared laser light into the mid-infrared spectral region. The mid-infrared region contains strong absorption features of a wide variety of atomic and molecular species of interest to the chemistry and physics communities. A singly-resonant, continuous wave optical parametric oscillator is well suited for this type of spectroscopy due to its wide tunability, high optical power, narrow linewidth, and the ability to translate modulation with high fidelity. This OPO will provide mid-infrared light which is tunable throughout much of the mid-infrared spectral region (2.3 micron to 4 micron) for interrogating molecules in process gases. This will allow us to interrogate a range of molecular gases in order to assess process conditions.

            In order to seed the amplifier which pumps the optical parametric oscillator we require an external cavity diode laser. This diode laser will provide the narrow linewidth and wide tuning laser light we require.

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: 

Specifically, the Contractor shall provide external cavity diode laser with a center wavelength near 1064 nm to serve as the seed laser for an optical parametric oscillator:

1. 1 A tuning range of at least 1040 nm to 1065 nm
2. Continuous, mode-hop free motored tuning over the entire tuning range
3. Laser linewidth <50 kHz at 5 μs
4. Output power in fiber of >15 mW between 1040 nm and 1065 nm
5. Optical isolation: >30 dB
6. Fast current modulation (AC and DC coupled)
7. Included fiber collimator
8. Attached fiber optic must be a PANDA PM fiber with narrow key FC/APC connectors with the slow axis aligned with the key
9. Integrated locking system with visual display, allowing top-of-fringe or side of fringe locking
10. Ability to tune laser and operate locking from front panel
11. Piezo step size of 5 kHz of less in optical frequency
12. USB or serial interface to PC
13. Continuous wave (CW) output
14. Mode hop free tuning range of at least 30 GHz

All needed electronic controllers must be included.

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!