Direct Write Electron Beam Lithography (DWEBL) System

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks information on commercial vendors that are capable of providing a stand-alone, direct-write electron beam lithography system to support nanofabrication research and development in the Boulder Micro-fabrication Facility (BMF) user facility. The system will be sited and used as a shared resource within the NIST organization. After results of this market research are obtained and analyzed, and specifications developed, NIST may conduct a competitive procurement and subsequently award a Purchase Order for a stand-alone, direct-write electron beam lithography system. If at least two qualified small businesses are identified during this market research stage, then any subsequent competitive procurement would be conducted as a small business set-aside. NIST currently owns and operates multiple electron beam lithography systems in the CNST NanoFab that are heavily used for a wide range of projects, with the most in-demand system being a JEOL JBX-6300-FS. However, the location in Gaithersburg greatly limits the much needed access to the DWEBL to projects located at the Boulder site. To resolve this problem NIST is purchasing an additional e-beam lithography system to increase the overall cost effectiveness while maximizing tool availability and the productivity of BMF users. The procured DWEBL System shall meet the specifications described below. 1. OPTICAL COLUMN a. The electron-optical system shall be designed to use a Schottky thermal field emission source. The source shall operate with an accelerating voltage of 100 kV or higher. b. The system shall operate with a beam scanning speed of at least 50 MHz and be supplied with digitally controlled position deflectors. c. The electron-optical system shall employ a remotely controlled aperture switching mechanism. The aperture control shall be integrated with the system's control software. The aperture switching mechanism shall include apertures of 25 - m and a 60 - m diameters. d. The electron-optical column shall be designed to scan up to 500 micron-wide field without any mechanical stage movement. 2. MECHANICAL STAGE: The system shall include a stage positioning system capable of less than1 nm repeatable placement precision, with stage travel of at least 150 mm in both x- and y-directions. 3. PERFORMANCE a. Resolution: the system shall be capable of exposing a single write line of width 10 nm or less using a commercial electron beam lithography resist. b. Field Stitching: the system shall be capable of accurately placing a pattern within 10 nm or less of a designed position relative to another pattern written during the same exposure run. c. Overlay: the system shall be capable of placing a pattern within 10 nm or less of a designed position relative to an existing pattern written on a substrate during a previous exposure run. 4. SUBSTRATE CAPABILITY: The system shall handle substrates from small piece parts up to and including circular wafers of at least 200 mm in diameter. 5. SAMPLE HOLDERS a. The system must be supplied with sample holders for 75 mm, 100 mm, 200 mm, and small (10 mm to 50 mm) 6. SAMPLE LOADING: The system shall include a separate, load-locked vacuum chamber, evacuated by a turbomolecular pump, for loading and unloading of samples into the instrument. 7. CONTROL SYSTEM AND SOFTWARE a. All functions of the DWEBL system shall be accessible through computer control, including data preparation, pattern writing preparation, electron optical column adjustments, and pattern writing. b. The computer control system shall make use of a computer-based graphical user interface and shall be in the English language. c. Existing users of CNST's JEOL JBX 6300 shall be able to operate the system with little or no retraining, and new users trained on one system shall be able to operate the other with little or no additional training. The operating control of the system shall be fully compatible and similar in job definition and pattern formatting to the JEOL JBX 6300, using compiled magazine files (.mgn) to run exposures. 8. MANUALS: All manuals necessary to operate and maintain the system shall be included in both printed and electronic form. 9. DELIVERY and INSTALLATION a. The delivery and installation of the system in the CNST NanoFab class 100 cleanroom shall be completed in less than 12 months ARO. 10. TRADE-IN AND REMOVAL OF EXISTING SYSTEM: The purchase contract shall include trade-in of an existing Vistec VB300 E-beam lithography system, including de-installation and removal of the Vistec system from the CNST NanoFab class 100 cleanroom. 11. SAFETY: The system shall meet all SEMI S2 safety standards and be compatible with NFPA 318 installation standards. 12. SERVICE SUPPORT: An aftermarket support option shall be available that includes a response time of one business day with a qualified field service engineer on site at NIST within this time period. 13. PAST PERFORMANCE: All systems proposed shall have a documented history of multiple instrument installations in research-based user facilities located within the United States, and the vendor shall be willing and able to provide references from these facilities. NIST is seeking responses from all responsible sources, including large, foreign, and small businesses. Small businesses are defined under the associated NAICS code for this effort, 333314, as those domestic sources having 500 employees or less. Please include your company's size classification and socio-economic status in any response to this notice. Companies that manufacture a direct write electron beam lithography system are requested to email a detailed response describing their abilities, and addressing the requirements set forth herein, to paul.pierson@nist.gov no later than the response date for this sources sought notice. The response should include achievable specifications and any other information relevant to your product or capabilities. Also, the following information is requested to be provided as part of the response to this sources sought notice: 1. Name of the company that manufactures the system for which specifications are provided. 2. Name of company(ies) that are authorized to sell the system, their addresses, and a point of contact for the company (name, phone number, fax number and email address). 3. Indication of number of days, after receipt of order that is typical for delivery of such a system. 4. Indication of whether each instrument for which specifications are sent to paul.pierson@nist.gov are currently on one or more GSA Federal Supply Schedule contracts and, if so, the GSA FSS contract number(s). 5. Any other relevant information that is not listed above which the Government should consider in developing its minimum specifications and finalizing its market research.