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Contract Opportunity

NASA/GSFC is hereby soliciting information from potential sources for an Inductively Coupled Plasma Deep Reactive Ion Etching (ICP DRIE) System for etching silicon wafers.

The system will be used to etch high-aspect-ratio (HAR) and nanoscale silicon structures built in the detector development laboratory. The system must be suitable for etching silicon wafers of 100, 150, and 200mm diameter. The system shall include all necessary software and hardware to enable automated control of DRIE programs including both blanket-etch and Bosch-based processes. The ICP DRIE consists of a vacuum system, including both a process and load lock chamber, RF generators, a chiller, a computer control system electronics rack, fast switching mass flow controllers for high aspect-ratio etching of silicon micro- and nanoscale components. The cryogenic etching process will enable high-aspect-ratio (HAR) and nanoscale etching for development and production of nano detectors, circuits and devices. It will also provide high-aspect-ratio etching of components with minimal sidewall roughness and no residual polymer passivation. Additionally, the tool shall provide DRIE capability using the patented “Bosch” etching procedure for deep silicon etching using standard photoresist as a photomask. The Bosch process consists of rapid, sequential switching between anisotropic etching steps and passivation growth enabling very deep etching with vertical sidewalls and with high etching rates. The DRIE tool will enable new etching capabilities for improved performance of products manufactured in the DDL. The equipment is essential for nearly all device fabrication projects under development.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) GSFC is seeking capability statements from all interested parties, including all socioeconomic categories of Small Businesses and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Institutions (MI), and members of the underserved communities as defined by Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity And Support For Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government, for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition and/or small business subcontracting goals for Inductively Coupled RIE. The Government reserves the right to consider a Small, 8(a), Women-owned (WOSB), Service Disabled Veteran (SD-VOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Women-owned Small Business (EDWOSB) or HUBZone business set-aside based on responses received.

No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on SAM.gov. Interested firms are responsible for monitoring this website for the release of any solicitation or synopsis.

Interested firms having the required capabilities necessary to meet the above requirement described herein should submit a capability statement of no more than five (5) pages indicating the ability to perform all aspects of the effort.

Please advise if the requirement is considered to be a commercial or commercial-type product. A commercial item is defined in FAR 2.101.

All responses shall be submitted electronically via email to Tamika.r.seaforth@nasa.gov no later than January 8, 2024 at 5:00PM EST. Please reference Inductively Coupled RIE in any response.

This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. Respondents deemed fully qualified will be considered in any resultant solicitation for the requirement.

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