Notice of Intent to Sole Source - Foundry Fabrication services (Silterra Malaysia SND)

The United States Department of Commerce (DOC), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Acquisition Management Division (AMD) intends to negotiate a firm fixed price purchase order, on a sole source basis, with Silterra Malaysia SND. BHD. of Lot 8 Phase II, Hi-Tech Park, Kulim, Kedah, 09000, Malaysia for the purchase of Foundry Fabrication services. The statutory authority for this sole source acquisition is FAR 13.106-1(b) by the authority of FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)/Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division (MND) develops integrated microsystems by advancing the state of the art in nanofabrication to enable the transfer of NIST measurement technologies to the industrial, academic, and government communities. This purchase is necessary to develop new measurement methods and facilitate technology transfer of NIST advanced measurement technologies. NIST MND is seeking foundry fabrication services for microdevices to include economically developing, implementing and providing low-volume microfabrication of custom silicon nitride based photonic devices according to NIST design and specifications. The required devices are based on the thin (100 nm) and thick (> 400 nm) silicon nitride that has low optical loss from the blue wavelengths in the visible to the infrared wavelengths. The devices have to be fabricated on 200 mm wafers and have minimum feature size of below 100 nm. Batch fabricating such features with custom shapes and precise critical dimension control requires using a 193 nm wavelength deep UV lithography tool. Other required fabrication steps are deposition of thick silicon dioxide layers and aligned patterning of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride with feature dimensions >10 micrometers and smooth vertical sidewalls for optical coupling. One or more experiments will be required to verify the nitride layer optical properties, patterning quality and provide test devices to NIST for testing. The Contractor then shall conduct experiments as necessary to implement the full fabrication sequence and provide several wafers of fabricated devices to NIST for further processing and testing. Extensive market research has been performed and it has been determined that Silterra is the only company that has demonstrated the capability to meet the requirements listed above and included in the attached Statement of Work. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 333242 – Superconductor Machinery Manufacturing, and the size standard is 1,500 employees. No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, all responsible sources interested may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement. The Government will consider responses received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on August 7, 2020. Inquiries will only be accepted via email to [email protected] . No telephone requests will be honored. A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement in the future.