ACAN 26-58022 Automated Wafer Defect Inspection System
and ICP Plasma Processing Module
1. Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)
An ACAN is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.
2. Definition of the Requirement
The National Research Council Canada (NRC), through the Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC), has a requirement for the supply, delivery, installation, commissioning, training, and support of two systems: one (1) Automated Wafer Defect Inspection and Surface Characterization System – Surface Defect Inspection Platform (SDIP), and one (1) Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Processing Module compatible with the existing KLA/SPTS Omega fxP plasma processing platform.
The SDIP system will enable automated inspection and characterization of compound semiconductor wafers used in photonic device fabrication. The system must provide high resolution optical surface inspection capable of detecting, measuring, and classifying surface defects and morphological variations on wafers produced through Metal Organic Chemical Vapour Deposition (MOCVD) processes.
The SDIP must support inspection and metrology of compound semiconductor substrates including Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), Indium Phosphide (InP), Gallium Nitride (GaN), sapphire, Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge), and GaN on Silicon Carbide (SiC). The system must generate quantitative surface data such as defect maps, particle distribution, and surface roughness (haze) measurements to support process monitoring and verification within the CPFC MOCVD work centre. The system must also provide automated cassette to cassette wafer handling, automated defect detection and classification, and integrated data analysis capabilities. Compatibility with existing CPFC inspection workflows and historical inspection datasets is required to ensure continuity of process monitoring and analysis.
The ICP processing module will expand plasma processing capacity within the CPFC microfabrication facility and support advanced etching processes used in the fabrication of compound semiconductor photonic devices. The module must integrate directly with the existing Omega fxP system currently operating within the CPFC Foundry and be fully compatible with the system’s hardware architecture, control software, process libraries, and operational infrastructure.
The ICP module must support high density plasma etching processes for compound semiconductor materials including Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), Indium Phosphide (InP), Gallium Nitride (GaN), Silicon (Si), and related material systems. The module must support 4 inch wafer processing and provide the plasma density, process uniformity, and repeatability required for photonic device fabrication. The system must include all required hardware, software integration, installation, commissioning, training, and technical support necessary to ensure full operational integration within the CPFC multi shift production environment.
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3. Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements)
Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a Statement of Capabilities that its Systems meets all of the following requirements:
Surface Defect Inspection Platform (SDIP) - The system must:
be a non-destructive, laser-based automated wafer inspection and surface characterization system capable of detecting, measuring, and classifying surface defects on compound semiconductor wafers used in photonic device fabrication;
• provide high-resolution optical inspection capable of detecting sub-micron particles and surface morphology variations, and generate full-surface defect maps and quantitative inspection data suitable for process monitoring and verification;
• support inspection of compound semiconductor substrates including Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), Indium Phosphide (InP), Gallium Nitride (GaN), sapphire, Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge), and Gallium Nitride on Silicon Carbide (GaN on SiC);
• detect and classify surface defects within an approximate size range of 0.1 micrometres to 60 micrometres and differentiate between particle contamination and epitaxial growth-related defects including cracks, micropits, dislocations, and other crystallographic defects;
• provide automated cassette-to-cassette wafer handling capable of securely handling semiconductor wafers ranging from 2-inch (50 mm) to 8-inch (150 mm) diameters;
• generate defect mapping data, automated classification outputs, and quantitative surface roughness or haze measurements suitable for defect analysis and process monitoring;
• be compatible with existing CPFC defect inspection workflows and support interoperability with historical inspection datasets used for process monitoring and analysis;
• support standard Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) communication protocols, including GEM, SECS, and HSMS, for integration with facility automation systems.
Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Processing Module - The system must:
• be an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) processing module specifically designed for direct integration with the existing KLA/SPTS Omega fxP plasma processing platform currently installed and operating at the NRC Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC);
• be fully compatible with the Omega fxP system architecture, hardware interfaces, control software, process libraries, tooling interfaces, and maintenance environment currently used within CPFC Foundry operations;
• support high-density plasma etching processes used in the fabrication of compound semiconductor photonic devices;
• support processing of compound semiconductor materials including Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), Indium Phosphide (InP), Gallium Nitride (GaN), Silicon (Si), and related material systems;
• support processing of 4-inch semiconductor wafers.
Electrical Certification
• All electrical equipment supplied under the contract must be certified or approved for use in accordance with the Canadian Electrical Code, Part I, by a certification organization accredited by the Standards Council of Canada. The equipment must bear the appropriate certification label prior to delivery or at the time of installation.
4. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement. This procurement is subject to the following trade agreements:
• Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
• World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP)
• Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
• Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
• Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA)
• Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement
• Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement
• Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement
• Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement
• Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA)
• Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement (Canada-UK TCA)
• Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA)
5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier
KLA Corporation est le seul fournisseur capable de répondre à l’exigence. KLA est le fabricant d’équipement d’origine (OEM) de la plateforme de traitement par plasma Omega fxP actuellement installée au Centre canadien de fabrication de dispositifs photoniques (CPFC) du Conseil national de recherches du Canada (CNRC). KLA détient la conception exclusive et la propriété intellectuelle associées à la plateforme et à ses modules compatibles et n’autorise pas les fournisseurs tiers. Seule KLA peut fournir un équipement assurant l’interopérabilité et l’interchangeabilité avec le système Omega fxP existant ainsi que la compatibilité avec l’environnement opérationnel et les flux de travail d’inspection du CPFC.
6. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)
The following exception(s) to the Government Contracts Regulations is (are) invoked for this procurement under subsection: 6(d) - "only one person is capable of performing the work".
7. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons
The following exclusion(s) and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the:
Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) – Article 513 (1) (b) (iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons;
World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP) – Article XIII (b) (iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons;
Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) – Article 19.12 (b) (iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons;
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – Article 15.10 (2) (b) (iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons;
Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) – Article Kbis-16 (2) (c): necessary to protect intellectual property;
Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement – Article 1409 (1) (b) (iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons;
Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement – Article 17.11 (2) (b) (iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons;
Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement – referencing the WTO Protocol Amending the GPA, Article XIII (1) (b) (iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons;
Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement – Article 16.10 (1) (b) (iii): because of the absence of competition for technical reasons;
Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) –Article 1409 (1) (b) (iii): due to an absence of competition for technical reasons;
Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement: refer to CETA as the provisions of CETA are incorporated by reference into and made part of this Agreement. (CETA) Article 19.12 (b) (iii);
Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) – Limited Tendering Article 10.13 (b) (iii) due to an absence of competition for technical reasons.
8. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date
The requirement is to be delivered on or around March 31st, 2027 for the SDIP System and June 30, 2027 for the ICP Module.
9. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier
KLA Corporation
1 Technology Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035 USA
10. Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities
Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the goods, services or construction services described in the ACAN may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.
11. Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities
The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is: 29 June 2026 at 2pm EDT.
12. Inquiries and submission of statement of capabilities
Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:
Katie Homuth | Senior Contracting Officer
Procurement and Contracting Services | Finance and Procurement Services Branch
National Research Council Canada | Government of Canada
Katie.Homuth@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca | 343-549-4539
