Hybrid Pulsed Laser Deposition/Thermal Evaporation System

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY (Not a notice of Solicitation) This request is for information only and is issued by Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio solely for information, planning purposes, and market research. It does not constitute a formal solicitation, Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quote (RFQ), Invitation for Bid (IFB), or a promise to issue a formal solicitation. This market research is being conducted to identify qualified business sources capable of providing a Hybrid Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) / Thermal Evaporation System with the below DRAFT specifications to the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Firms responding should specify if their products meet the technical specifications below and provide detailed product information to show clear technical compliance. When submitting your capabilities package, please state whether or not you can meet this requirement, and estimated delivery date from the date of contract award. If you believe you can meet this requirement but take exception to any of the specifications listed below, please state these in your capabilities package with a brief description of why. Also, if you find any of the specifications overly restrictive, please state these items and why and well. The Air Force anticipates eventually conducting a competitive acquisition to fulfill this requirement. All interested firms shall submit information demonstrating their capabilities to produce the system within 16 weeks after receipt or order. Firms responding should indicate whether they are, or are not, a small business, a socially and economically disadvantaged business, or a woman owned business. The general definition of a small business is one that is independently owned and operated, is not dominant in the field of operation in which it is proposing on Air Force contracts and with its affiliates; and the number of employees does not exceed 500. NAICS Code to be used for this acquisition is 334516. The Air Force reserves the right to consider set-aside based upon responses hereto for any subsequent acquisition. Respondents are further requested to indicate their status as a Foreign-owned/Foreign-controlled firm and any contemplated use of foreign national employees on this effort. Additionally, sales history including recent commercial companies sold to should be included to determine commerciality. The required specifications are below (please note this is a DRAFT specification only). 1) System must allow for simultaneous or sequential PLD, reactive PLD, and thermal evaporation, and must be instrumented for monitoring of these deposition processes. 2) System must have the ability to make carbide, nitride, and oxide coatings in a temperature range from 20-1000'C. This necessitates the dissociation of feed gases such as hydrocarbons, ammonia, and oxygen. This requires mass flow controllers, pressure gauges, and a throttling system to control feed gases. 3) Plume diagnostic capability to include the ability to look at real time mass spectra of positive and negative ions in the ablation plume simultaneously. This will require two mass spectrometers with the ability to detect up to 200 AMU. Requires capability to simultaneously collect optical emission spectra in the range of 200-800nm. 4) Deposition chamber must be ultra high vacuum with a background pressure of no more than 5x10-9 Torr. Chamber must also have access ports for 3 baratron gauges for a combined operating pressure range between 1Torr and atmospheric pressure. 5) Deposition chamber must have access ports for thermal evaporation source and thermocouple leads. 6) Deposition chamber must have ports for acquiring optical emission spectra, as well as a port for translating thin film deposition monitor in and out of the deposition area. 7) Deposition chamber must be able to mate to existing chamber. Additional ports cannot interfere with operation and access to ports on existing chamber. 8) Support frame for deposition chamber must be a sliding rail system for ease of component assembly, interchange, transfer and future modifications and adaptations. This rail system must mate with existing apparatus in its current configuration. 9) Ability to keep samples under vacuum before entry into UHV primary chamber is required. Linear transfer capability must mate with existing heating stage and Kelvin Probe apparatus. 10) Delivery, assembly and installation must cause no more than a two week delay to current laboratory operation. Any information submitted by respondents to this sources sought is voluntary. The Air Force does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this notice or to otherwise pay for the information requested herein. The above information is to provide firms a better understanding of the requirement for AFRL, and to help determine set-aside. Capabilities package: All interested firms shall submit a capabilities package that explicitly demonstrates company capabilities and product specifications related to this effort. Responses may be submitted electronically to the following e-mail address: patricia.gilmore@wpafb.af.mil in a Microsoft word compatible format or mailed to ASC/PKOA, ATTN: Patricia Gilmore, 1940 Allbrook Dr, Suite 3, Room 109, Wright Patterson AFB, OH 45433-5309. Responses to be received no later than 5:00pm (EST) on Friday, 10 September, 2010. Direct all questions concerning this notice to Patricia Gilmore at (937) 522-4511.