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Contract Opportunity

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a Mechanically Cooled EUV Cryogenic Radiometer Comparator System. If no alternate sources are identified, the Government intends to issue a Sole Source Award to L-1 Standards and Technology, Inc. (UEI: E219UNZLCLK3) under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing, with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees.

The NIST Optical Radiation Group requires an instrument for the measurement of optical power between 1 nW and 500 µW in the 2 nm to 400 nm wavelength range. Since this instrument will serve as the primary standard detector for the EUV Detector calibration service, it must not rely on calibration against other optical power detectors, i.e. it must be an absolute detector of optical power. Within the radiometry community, cryogenic radiometry is widely recognized as the best technology for these absolute measurements at low incident powers.

Traditionally, cryogenic radiometers have been cooled by liquid helium, the cost of which has risen dramatically over the last decade. Such systems are inherently difficult to use, and they present safety issues related to the very cold temperature of the liquid helium. A cryogenic radiometer cooled by a mechanical cryocooler is considerably easier and safer to use, and the cost of ownership is dramatically lower than a liquid-helium cooled system.

The cryogenic radiometer will be used to calibrate the spectral responsivity of a family of NIST’s standard photodiodes. These calibration measurements require a comparison of the photocurrent produced by a detector to the power measured by the radiometer. Insertion of a room-temperature photodiode into the field of view of the radiometer significantly disturbs the thermal environment and generates transient responses in the radiometer that require many minutes to settle before reliable measurements can be made. A comparator system that mounts the radiometer and the detector(s) under test in a side-by-side configuration eliminates these issues.

The Optical Radiation Group requires one (1) cryogenic radiometer with side-by-side comparator system to serve as the primary standard detector and calibration transfer facility for the realization of the detector spectral power responsivity scale in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV). This scale realization is the foundation of the Extreme Ultraviolet Detectors (EUVD) calibration service. It shall meet the following minimum technical specifications:

Radiometer:

1. Spectral range: 2 nm to 400 nm;


2. Noise floor of 100 pW or less;


3. Cavity reflectance of 0.01% or less over 2 nm to 400 nm spectral range;


4. Mechanical cooling system (i.e., no cryogenic liquids);


5. Receiver cavity aperture: 8 mm diameter or larger;


6. Settling time to 0.01% or less of signal: 30 s or less


7. Dynamic range: 10 nW (or less) to 500 µW (or greater);


8. Compatible with clean, hydrocarbon-free vacuum of 1x10–6 Pa or less;


9. Electronics necessary to measure optical power;


10. Brewster window accessory that can be attached to the radiometer after removal from the comparator system. (Installation is not required at the time of delivery.)

Comparator:

1. Position either radiometer or detector under test in fixed optical beam;


2. Exchange positions under high vacuum (pressure 1x10–6 Pa or less);


3. Motorized position exchange system;


4. Position repeatability ±10 µm or less;


5. Mounting for at least five (5) detectors under test with maximum detector diameter of 50 mm or more;


6. In-vacuum, motorized motion to position one of the detectors under test in the incident optical beam;


7. Motorized linear motion of detector under test over ±12 mm (or greater) distance and with ±10 µm repeatability both vertically and horizontally within vacuum chamber with pressure 1x10–6 Pa or less;


8. Electrical feedthroughs for at least two wires from each of four detectors under test (One vacuum feedthrough with eight or more conductors is allowed.);


9. At least three (3) vacuum ports with DN16CF (1.33-in ConFlat or equivalent) flanges for additional electrical feedthroughs.

NIST conducted market research from 12/2023 – 2/2024 by conducting online searches, review of vendor websites, review of professional journals, and discussions with experts in the industry to determine what sources could meet NIST’s minimum requirements. The results of that market research revealed that only L-1 Standards and Technology, Inc. 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), readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response. Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed at the bottom of this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice.

1. 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).


2. Details about what your company can provide that meets or exceeds NIST’s minimum requirements (Capability Statement).


3. Whether your company is an authorized reseller of the product or service being cited and evidence of such authorization.


4. 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.


5. For the NAICS code
   
   
   
   1. 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.
   
   
   2. 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.
   
   
   
   


6. If 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.


7. Describe your company’s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the products or services described in Background section.


8. Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for the Government to know as part of its market research for this requirement.


9. 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 may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice (provided below). Questions should be submitted so that they are received by 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 1, 2024. Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline.

IMPORTANT NOTES

1. The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that the NIST may appropriately solicit for future requirements.


2. This notice should not be construed as a commitment by the NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract.


3. This notice is not a request for a quotation. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations.


4. No award will be made as a result of this notice.


5. NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.


6. NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate.

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