Plasma Sputtering System

Sources Sought Plasma Sputtering System This is a Sources Sought Synopsis (SSS); there is no solicitation available. This is not a request for a quote, request for proposal, or an invitation to bid, nor is this to be construed as a commitment by the US Government to issue a solicitation. The Government will not reimburse or pay for information submitted in response to this SSS. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. This Sources Sought Synopsis is published for market research purposes. This market research will be used to help determine if this may be a competitive acquisition, or if a set-aside for any small business program is appropriate (Small Business, 8(a), HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned (SDVO), small businesses). Please review this announcement, including all attachments, in their entirety. Request interested parties complete and return a Capabilities Statement that describes the comparable product and the ability to meet the "Requirements" described below to identify firms who possess the capability to provide a Plasma Sputtering System. The Government is in no way obligated to do business with or to enter into any form of contract with any person, firm or other entity that receives or responds to this announcement. The Operational Contracting Branch, Technology Support Acquisition Section (AFLCMC/PZIOAA) is seeking potential sources, including small business sources. In addition to the information requested in the paragraph below entitled "Capabilities package" responding parties must also indicate their size status in relation to the applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to this effort, 334516 -Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing with a Size Standard of 500 employees. Include in your response all socio-economic categories for which you qualify (Small Business (SB), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), 8(a), Veteran-Owned (VO), SDVO, Women-Owned (WO), Economically-Disadvantaged Women-Owned (EDWO) and HUBZone small businesses). Indicate if you are the manufacturer or provide the name and size of the manufacturer of the product(s) you will be supplying. 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. Please include information about the firm's standard warranty. In addition, recent sales history to commercial companies should be included to determine commerciality. Instructions: 1. The information below provides a "Program Description Requirements" and a "Contractor Capability Survey", which allows you to document your company's capabilities in meeting these requirements. 2. If, after reviewing these documents, you desire to participate in the market research, please complete and return the Contractor Capability Survey below. Response format and due date information is specified at the bottom portion of this notice. Failure to provide a complete response may result in the government being unable to adequately assess your capabilities. If you lack sufficient experience in a particular area, please provide details explaining how you would overcome the lack of experience/capabilities in order to perform that portion of the requirement (i.e., teaming, subcontracting, etc.) 3. Both large and small businesses are encouraged to participate in this Market Research. Joint ventures or teaming arrangements are encouraged. 4. Information feedback sessions may be offered to respondents after the sources sought assessments are complete. Program Description Requirements: Requirements for 1 (one) Physical Vapor Deposition Plasma Sputtering System Salient Characteristics: Physical Vapor Deposition Plasma Sputtering System I. PROCESS CHAMBER: 1. D-shaped 2. 304 SS (stainless steel) 3. Minimum 18" wide x 18" deep x 20" high 4. O-ring sealed 5. Hinged lid 6. Aluminum front access door 7. Viewport and replaceable deposition shield 8. Appropriate pumping, gauging and instrumentation ports 9. Load lock or transfer vessel attachment port 10. water cooled chamber 11. CTI-8F 1500 l/s cryo pump, water-cooled compressor and a 2-position pneumatically actuated isolation gate valve 12. 6.7cfm dry scroll backing pump, 3 position gate valve with cryo pump capability 13. Automatic regeneration capability through touch screen controller or PC control package 14. Cryo compressor located remotely from system frame with standard 20 foot helium lines 15. Chamber base pressure < = 5 x 10-8 Torr II. INSTRUMENTATION/POWER SUPPLY RACK: 1. Approx. 132" wide x 42.3" deep x 80" high 2. Stand alone instrument rack with Integrated power distribution 3. Caster wheels and leveling pads 4. Open system framework to facilitate routine maintenance III. DC & RF CATHODES: 1. Five (5) total magnetron sputtering sources: a. two (2) 2" cathodes that will accommodate 0.125 and 0.25" thick targets (one cathode with standard strength magnets and one cathode with high strength magnets for ferromagnetic materials) b. two (2) 3" cathodes that will accommodate 0.125 and 0.25" thick targets (one cathode with high strength magnets for ferromagnetic materials and one cathode with a magnetic keeper cathode that requires no dark space shield or target clamp, contains zero o-rings and accommodates targets up to 0.375" thick) c. One (1) 4" cathode with standard strength magnets 2. Pneumatic dome type shutters to eliminate cross-contamination between cathodes 3. Full target occlusion to eliminate the need for deposition chimneys 4. Sputtering sources installed through chamber top-plate in a sputter down configuration IV. CATHODE POWER SUPPLIES 1. Five (5) total cathode power supplies: a. One (1) 300W RF power supply with automatic matching b. One (1) 600W RF power supply with automatic matching network and control c. Two (2) PDX500X3 1500W DC power supplies d. One (1) 2kw Huttinger Truplasma Pulsed DC power supply 2. One cathode (TBD) dedicated to the pulsed DC supply and the other 4 cathodes will be connected to both the DC and RF supplies via multi-position switches 3. At least four (4) multi-position DC or RF switches. NOTE: RF blocking filter will be required when switching RF and DC power to the same source V. SUBSTRATE BIAS/CLEANING: 1. RF/DC bias capability with appropriate darkspace shielding 2. 100W RF power supply with automatic tuning dedicated for substrate bias 3. Pneumatically actuated substrate shutter VI. SUBSTRATE FIXTURE WITH HEATER: 1. Substrate heater up to 800C 2. Variable speed, motor driven rotating platen (up to 20 rpm) 3. Accommodates a single substrate (up to 6" diameter, at least one holder is included) VII. LOAD LOCK WITH ION MILLING/ETCHING: 1. Load lock to accommodate up to a 6"wafer 2. Load lock is upgraded to accommodate sample milling or etching capability in the load lock chamber itself 3. Load lock chamber and mounting ports to accommodate a large gridded ion source, a MFC, and at least a 260 l/sec turbo pump 4. Ion source (KDC-40 4cm DC) a. DC bias w/ filament cathode plasma ionization chamber b. Beam current > 120mA max c. Beam voltage 100V to 1200V max d. Filament electron neutralizer e. Self-aligned beam grid assembly f. Two grid ion optics assembly w/ 4cm diameter pattern g. KSC 1202 power supply/controller with readout h. One channel MFC gas inlet to ion source i. KSC 1202 auto controller j. Pneumatic source shutter VIII. PROCESS PRESSURE CONTROL: 1. Three (3) total gas channels for Ar, N2 and O2 sputtering 2. Reactive sputtering and co-sputtering capable 3. MKS 1179 flow controllers (0-100 sccm standard) and all required cables 4. PID upstream pressure control electronics 5. MKS 626A Baratron 100 mTorr pressure transducer 6. System vent and purge pressure regulators NOTE: Pumping speed is regulated by the speed control turbo (or the 3-position valve when applicable) and 2 additional gas channels are quoted 7. One (1) film thickness monitor including a shuttered single crystal sensor IX. SOFTWARE PACKAGE: 1. User Interface application run on Windows 8 PC platform 2. Standalone real time controller executes equipment and provides uninterrupted automated process operation 3. PC with 22" full HD touch-screen monitor, keyboard with touch pad 4. PC provides supervisory interface, facilitates monitoring and manual actuation of vacuum, transfer, maintenance, and deposition process components 5. Visual display and control of System status messages, user login/logout, operation mode, and system abort a. Vacuum Screen: Visual display of valve position, pump status and vacuum status b. Deposition Screen: Indication of shutter position, deposition source status, source material & target life log c. Gas Screen: Mass flow controller modes, gas valve status, pressure measurement and control display d. Motion Screen: Display/input of position and velocity as well as control of motors e. Cooling Screen: Water flow switch status for all cooling channels f. Heating Screen: Temperature setpoints & control parameters, PID and Auto Tuning feature g. Standard recipes (Pumpdown, Vent, Regen, Sample Load) included with optional user set process parameters h. Optional Maintenance Reminder screen i. Standard Chart Recorder (plots up to 10 signals or "pens" simultaneously) and datalogging (.csv file) j. Graphical Recipe Builder generates a recipe via mouse or touchscreen selectable user interface components k. Recipe Database Screen provides selection & editing of stock recipes, with copy functionality for modification of existing & saving of new recipes l. Ability to export/import recipes m. Programming/control via a keyboard/touch pad or pop-up window on touch screen n. Supports multiple user accounts and password levels with custom security access for recipes and screens. Standard user security levels Users with full access can edit recipes and control interlocks. Restricted access users are limited to running certain recipes and have no control over interlocks. Individual screen access can be separately assigned to any user. o. System event log captures all user login/logout events, all recipes executed, and system status messages p. No software run time license or key required X. SPARE PARTS PACKAGE: Routine and preventative maintenance items XI. WARRANTY: Minimum of a two (2) year warranty At this time the following non-commercial provisions and clauses are being considered for inclusion in the solicitation package: FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (P) FAR 52.204-4, Printed or Copied Double Sided on Recycled Paper FAR 52.209-2, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations-Representation(P) FAR 52.209-5, Certification Regarding Responsibility Matters (P) FAR 52.228-5, Insurance - Work on a Government Installation FAR 52.229-3, Federal, State, and Local Taxes FAR 52.232-9, Unenforceability of Unauthorized Obligations FAR 52.233-2, Service Protest FAR 52.242-13, Bankruptcy FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference FAR 52.252-5, Authorized Deviations in Provisions FAR 52.252-6, Authorized Deviations in Clause DFARS 252.203-7002, Requirement to Inform Employees of Whistleblower Rights DFARS 252.204-7003, Control of Government Personnel Work Product DFARS 252.209-7004, Subcontracting with Firms That Are Owned or Controlled by the Government of a Terrorist Country DFARS 252.225-7002, Qualifying Country Sources as Subcontractors DFARS 252.225-7048, Export-Controlled Items DFARS 252.243-7001, Pricing of Contract Modifications AFFARS 5352.201-9101, Ombudsman AFFARS 5352.223-9000, Elimination of Class I Ozone Depleting Substances AFFARS 5352.223-9001, Health and Safety on Government Installation Contractor Capability Survey: Part I. Business Information: Please provide the following business information for your firm: ? Company/Institute Name: ? Address: ? Point of Contact: ? CAGE Code: ? Phone Number: ? Email Address: ? Web Page URL: Based on North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code: 334516, 500 employees, please circle Yes or No whether your company is: Based on the above NAICS Code, state whether your company is: ? Small Business (Yes / No) Self-Certified or Third Party Certified ? Woman Owned Small Business (Yes / No) Self-Certified or Third Party Certified ? HUBZone Certified (Yes / No) Self-Certified or Third Party Certified ? Veteran Owned Small Business (Yes / No) Self-Certified or Third Party Certified ? Service Disabled Veteran Small Business (Yes / No) Self-Certified or Third Party Certified ? 8(a) Certified (Yes / No) Self-Certified or Third Party Certified SBA Certification Date: ____________ SBA Graduation Date: ______________ ? Please provide a statement as to whether your company is domestically or foreign owned (if foreign, please indicate the country of ownership). ? Indicate if you are the manufacturer or provide the name and size of the manufacturer of the product(s) you will be supplying. ? Please provide a statement that the respondent will allow or will not allow the Government to release proprietary data. The Air Force will handle proprietary items in accordance with FAR 2.101 and 3.104. ? Please provide information about the firm's standard warranty. ? Please provide recent sales history to commercial companies in order to determine commerciality. ? Please provide a statement to acceptability of the following proposed provisions and clauses, as they are determined to be consistent with customary commercial practice. Part II. Capability Survey Questions: 1. Describe briefly the capabilities of your facility and the nature of the services you provide. Include a description of your staff composition and management structure. 2. Describe your company's past experience on previous projects similar in complexity to this requirement. Include contract number and date, a brief description, agency/organization supported, and point of contact name and telephone number. 3. Are there specific requirements in the documentation that we provide that would currently preclude your product/service from being a viable solution to our requirement? 4. Are there established market prices for our requirement? If you offer this product and/or service to both U.S. Government and commercial sources, is the same workforce used for both the U.S. Government and general public? Is our requirement offered to both under similar terms and conditions? Briefly describe any differences. 5. Describe your standard warranty furnished to the government similar in nature to this requirement. All interested firms shall submit a response demonstrating their capabilities to provide the requested items to the primary point of contact listed below. Any information submitted by respondents to this sources sought synopsis is voluntary. This sources sought synopsis is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government reimburse any costs associated with the submission of information in response to this notice. As stipulated in FAR 15.201, responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The decision to solicit for a contract shall be solely within the Government's discretion. Response Format Instructions: All interested firms shall submit a Contractor Capabilities Survey (as outlined above) that explicitly demonstrates company capabilities. Responses are limited to 10 pages and may be submitted electronically to the following e-mail address: robert.fahrney@us.af.mil and/or julie.hansen.1@us.af.mil in a Microsoft Word compatible format or mailed to AFLCMC/PZIOA POC: SrA Robert Fahrney, 1940 Allbrook Drive, Room 109, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-5309 to be received no later than (This date is subject to SB approval and will be 14 days from posting)12:00 p.m. EST, Monday the 28th of December 2015. Direct all questions concerning this acquisition to TSgt Julie Hansen at julie.hansen.1@us.af.mil (phone 937-522-4594) and/or SrA Robert Fahrney at robert.fahrney@us.af.mil (phone 937-522-4540). Be advised that all correspondence sent via e-mail shall contain a subject line that reads "Plasma Sputtering System" If this subject line is not included, the e-mail may not get through e-mail filters at Wright-Patterson AFB. Filters are designed to delete emails without subject lines or with suspicious subject lines or contents. Attachments with files ending in.zip or .exe are not allowable and will be deleted. Ensure only .pdf, .doc, or .xls documents are attached to email. Respondents will not be individually notified of the results of any government assessments. The Government's assessment of the capability statements received will factor into whether any forthcoming solicitation will be conducted as a full and open competition or as a set-aside for small business, or any particular small business designation (e.g. SDVOSB, HUBZone, 8(a), etc.).