SPECIAL NOTICE
99 -- Combined SSN/NOI to Sole Source - Micromechanical Testing Instrument for Materials and MEMS
- Notice Date
- 12/17/2025 10:17:03 AM
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- Contracting Office
- DEPT OF COMMERCE NIST GAITHERSBURG MD 20899 USA
- ZIP Code
- 20899
- Solicitation Number
- NIST-SS26-CHIPS-56
- Response Due
- 1/7/2025 2:00:00 PM
- Archive Date
- 01/22/2025
- Point of Contact
- Cielo Ibarra
- E-Mail Address
-
cielo.ibarra@nist.gov
(cielo.ibarra@nist.gov)
- Description
- THIS IS A COMBINED SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE Announcement Number: NIST-SS26-CHIPS-56 Subject: Notice of Intent to Noncompetitively Acquire Micromechanical Testing Instrument for Materials and MEMS This notice is not a request for a quotation. A solicitation document will not be issued, and quotations will not be requested. This acquisition is being conducted under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b) via FAR 13.106-1(b). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. BACKGROUND The semiconductor supply chain is global, specialized, and interconnected. Chipmakers do business with thousands of individual suppliers that provide the highly complex materials and tools used to produce semiconductors. To address the lack of full visibility into the semiconductors markets supply chain and R&D ecosystem gaps NIST will conduct the measurement science, or metrology, critical to the development of new materials, packaging, and production methods in chip manufacturing.? The Applied Chemicals and Materials Division, in the Material Measurement Laboratory at NIST, is developing new metrology to measure the micromechanical properties, to fracture, of thin-film electroplated copper (Cu) and micro-sized lead-free solder. These materials are critical as interconnects for heterogeneous integration for advanced packaging. Cu is used for Cu-to-Cu hybrid bonding, the most advanced interconnect technology today and in the near future, while Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solder is used for all levels of packaging. Mechanical property data, to fracture, are lacking or sparse for these materials with size scales, chemical composition and microstructure similar to that of the interconnects, but are needed by the semiconductor industry to improve their models. The characteristic length for Cu hybrid bonds is 1 micron, and that of solder can range from 1 micron to over 100 microns. A state-of-the-art technique is to use nanoindentation to measure mechanical properties, however, nanoindentation tests are typically not to fracture, especially for ductile materials such as metals. NIST is therefore developing new techniques to measure various mechanical properties (such as tensile, shear, bending, fatigue) of freestanding micro-sized metal specimens with NIST-designed geometries, and requires a suitable mechanical testing instrument to load the micro specimens to fracture, as well as to measure the force and displacement outputs of NIST�s Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS)-based test chips. This is for the funded CHIPS R&D Metrology project ""Micromechanical property measurements of materials for heterogeneous integration in advanced packaging."" The project's goal is to measure various micromechanical properties, to fracture, of micro-sized thin film copper and lead-free solder, and to develop the methods/instruments to do the measurements. Free-standing micro-specimens of Cu and solder will be fabricated. Our measurement methods consist of exploring two approaches: (a) using a commercial miniature tensile-testing instrument to apply the forces and displacements to the micro-specimens, and (b) we are also developing alternative chip-sized instruments using MEMS to apply the forces and displacements. For approach (a), NIST�s current testing instrument is over 20 years old and its force range is too high; our current minimum force is 1 N and NIST requires forces 100 - 1000X lower. Thus, NIST must procure a new state-of-the-art materials testing instrument with forces in the mN range. For approach (b), NIST requires a test apparatus to measure and calibrate the force output of our MEMS actuators. This force-calibration task is usually done by researchers designing and building their own custom force-measurement systems. It is totally unrelated to approach (a). NIST requires a single commercial instrument that can perform BOTH the materials testing function for approach (a) as well as the MEMS force-calibration function for approach (b). As previously mentioned, the two functions mentioned above (materials testing, and force-calibration of MEMS) are completely separate and unrelated functions. Materials testing instruments do not typically have anything to do with MEMS, while MEMS force measurement is not something that is typically done using commercial instruments but with research labs' in-house designed apparatuses. However, Oxford Instruments - FemtoTool AG (Switzerland) has an instrument (model# FT-MTA03) that is designed to perform both functions, which is unique. Multiple companies were found through market research that could possibly meet our needs and were contacted; however, it was found that only Oxford Instruments - FemtoTools AG 's instrument can perform the function both (a) and (b). NIST performed extensive market research for other vendors whose tools can perform function (a) but they turned out to either have forces that are too high or also cannot perform function (b). The minimum specifications regarding these items are listed below. Line Item 0001: micromechanical testing instrument Description: mechanical testing instrument capable of performing two disparate functions: (1) pulling apart specimens of thin-film materials while measuring the required force and displacement, and (2) measuring the force and displacement outputs of MEMS actuators. Quantity: 1 Technical Specifications Force capacity from 0.2 mN to 200 mN. Displacement capacity from 1 nm to > 20 microns 3-axis actuation with displacement capability of up to 50 microns 3-axis nanopositioning with range of at least 20 mm, and noise of 1 nm or less Capability for performing tensile testing of micro specimens Capability for measuring force and displacement output of MEMS actuators, from 0.2 mN to at 50 mN or more, and from 1 nm to 20 microns or more Capability for reconfiguring the direction of applied force Vibration isolation table included Optical microscope included, which can be rotated Enclosure for protecting samples from ambient air currents during testing Capability for testing in multiple directions, such as normal, in-plane or at an adjustable angle Compatible with replacement force sensing probes, force ranges from 0.2 mN to 200 mN Computer included (for running the instrument) Line Item 0002: two-axis force probe, up to 20 mN Description: two-axis force sensor compatible with the instrument Quantity: 3 Technical Specifications Force capacity from 0.2 mN to 20 mN Two-axis force measurement capability Line Item 0003: single-axis force probe, up to 20 mN Description: single-axis force sensor compatible with the instrument Quantity: 3 Technical Specifications Force capacity from 0.2 mN to 20 mN Line Item 0004: hook-shaped force probe Description: force probe with hook shape, compatible with instrument Quantity: 3 Technical Specifications Force capacity from 0.2 mN to 200 mN Probe has hook shape Line Item 0005: dogbone-shaped force probe Description: force probe with dogbone-shaped gripper, compatible with instrument Quantity: 3 Technical Specifications Force capacity from 0.2 mN to 200 mN Probe has dogbone-shaped gripper for pulling on a tensile specimen Line Item 0006: single-axis force probe, up to 200 mN Description: single-axis force sensor compatible with the instrument Quantity: 3 Technical Specifications Force capacity from 0.2 mN to 200 mN Line Item 0007: installation and training Description: product installation and user training Quantity: 3 Technical Specifications Installation of the instrument Training for users NIST conducted market research from December 2024 � December 2025 by conducting online searches, discussions with sources, and discussions with colleagues to determine what sources could meet NIST�s minimum requirements. The results of that market research revealed that only Oxford Instruments - FemtoTools AG, 130A BAKER AVENUE EXT, CONCORD, MA 01742 USA, UEI: ZPFMTK6683X3 appears to be capable of meeting NIST�s requirements. HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Include only the following information provided below. Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact no later than 1/7/25, 5:00pm ET. Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company�s Unique Entity ID (UEI). Details about what your company is capable of providing that meets or exceeds NIST�s minimum requirements (Capability Statement). Whether your company is an authorized reseller of the product or service being cited and evidence of such authorization. Identify any aspects of the description of the requirements in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or create unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your company�s ability to provide a technically acceptable product. Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses. For the NAICS code Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business. See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information. If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement. your firm has existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts for products or services against which the Department may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information. Describe your company�s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the products or services described in Background section. Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for the Government to know as part of its market research for this requirement. Contact the primary and/or secondary point of contact (provided below) if you would like to engage in discussions to gain a better understanding of the requirement or need additional information about the Government�s requirement for the products or services described in the Background section (provided above). QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE Questions regarding this notice must be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact. Questions must be submitted so that they are received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on 12/19/25 to receive a government response prior to the close of this notice. Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline. IMPORTANT NOTES The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that the NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future. This notice should not be construed as a commitment by the NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. This notice is not a request for a quotation. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations. No award will be made as a result of this notice. NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate.
- Web Link
-
SAM.gov Permalink
(https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/5c8aad96bbae4b47b4b7aa2c20fdf500/view)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Boulder, CO 80305, USA
- Zip Code: 80305
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 80305
- Record
- SN07668649-F 20251219/251217230034 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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