Notice ID Number: NIST-FY25-CHIPS-0052

Title: Sources Sought Notice for Optical Microscope

The purpose of this sources sought notice is to conduct market research and identify potential sources of commercial products/services that satisfy the Government’s anticipated needs.

BACKGROUND

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST CHIPS Metrology R&D program has nondestructive defect detection metrology (NDDM) for semiconductor advanced packaging project. The NDDM project aims at developing reference defect artifacts and characterizing defective semiconductor samples to help improve X-ray computed tomography (XCT) defect detection metrology and accuracy of detection. The defect artifacts’ engineered defects and defective semiconductor samples’ defects need to be characterized to provide ground truth information which will be compared to XCT-based defect detection results. In order to characterize the ground truth defect information, the defect artifacts and defective semiconductor materials need to be destructively measured using methods such as precision mechanical polishing. Cross-sectioning or delayering processes will be implemented on the samples, which require accurate sample alignments through micrometer adjustments and precision polishing through digital dial indicators. The cross sections or the delayered planes are measured using an optical microscope optimized for the polisher sample holders and polishing process. The optical microscope should be able to auto-focus the cross section or the layer, and capable of installing manual or motorized translational stages. The microscope should allow installation of multiple objective lenses. The microscope should allow integration with a digital camera and a computer.

NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that will achieve the objectives described above, in addition to the following essential requirements: 

Hardware

• • The optical microscope shall be an upright microscope, which is capable of using both reflected and transmission light for brightfield, dark field, circular polarized light-differential interference contrast, and polarized imaging when proper components are installed.
  • The optical microscope hardware shall be capable of autofocusing images when proper software was used. The optical microscope shall allow at least 24 mm focus lift distance.
  • The microscope shall be equipped with a motorized objective turret for automatic changing.
    • Stronger consideration will be given for encoded positions from one (1) up to six (6) positions.
  • The microscope shall be equipped with a motorized filter turret for automatic changing.
    • Stronger consideration will be given for encoded positions from one (1) up to six (6) positions.
  • The optical microscope shall be able to install at least one (1) filter slider for reflected light and one (1) filter for transmission light.
  • The microscope shall be able to install at least one (1) mount for polarizer slider.
  • The optical microscope shall be equipped with one (1) reflector turret with at least four (4) encoded positions.
  • The optical microscope shall be equipped with one (1) reflector cube for brightfield imaging and one (1) reflector cube for darkfield imaging.
    • Stronger consideration will be given to a system with easier installation (e.g., push and click mechanism) and automatic optical component recognition capabilities.
  • The optical microscope shall be equipped with one (1) binocular phototube. The phototube shall be capable of directing light to the eyepieces (100%) or to the camera (100%). The phototube shall be compatible with all microscope imaging modes.
  • The optical microscope shall be equipped with one (1) manual stage with x and y translational movement capability with at least 75 x 50 mm travel distances. The plate shall be at least 290 mm x 165 mm in size. The stage height shall be adjustable manually.
  • The optical microscope shall be equipped with two (2) eyepieces with at least 10x magnification.
  • The optical microscope shall be equipped with infinity corrected objectives lenses capable for bright field, dark field, and differential interference contrast imaging.
    • The optical microscope shall be equipped with one (1) objective lens with 5x magnification with numerical aperture of 0.12 or higher.
    • The optical microscope shall be equipped with one (1) objective lens with 10x magnification with numerical aperture of 0.2 or higher.
    • The optical microscope shall be equipped with one (1) objective lens with 20x magnification with numerical aperture of 0.4 or higher.
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