ACTION CODE: SPECIAL NOTICE

CLASSIFICATION CODE: 66 - Instruments and Laboratory Equipment

SUBJECT: Photonic Sintering Tool

SOLICITATION NUMBER: NB642060-17-03490

RESPONSE DATE: 6/23/2017

DESCRIPTION:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), with Xenon Corporation, located in Wilmington, MA, for the purchase of a Photonic Sintering Tool.

Sole Source justification is based on the following:
The Material Science and Engineering Division maintains a state-of-the-art program
in-situ characterization of material processing relevant to flexible and printed electronics. High frequency, wireless communication drives a need for high performance (low resistance) metal traces. On low temperature (<150 C) flexible, plastic substrates, the necessary performance requires non-traditional ink sintering techniques. Photonic sintering (exposure to a short burst of high intensity light) has emerged as a promising processing technique. However, the fundamental kinetics of nano-particle ink sintering have not been measured. To continue maintenance and increase efficiencies, the division requests a small, portable, photonic sintering tool and replacement illumination lamp, to enable in-situ x-ray scattering studies at high-flux synchrotron light sources, to provide one-of-a kind, unique measurement data.

The components include the following:

One (1) Xenon Corporation X-1100 photonic sintering tool consisting of X-1100 power supply, LC-912 chamber, LH-910 type B lamp and cabling and one (1) Xenon Corporation replacement LH-910 type B illumination lamp with the following characteristics:

• Benchtop design and portable, allowing transportation between synchrotron beam line instrument stations and shipment by common carrier
• Capable of sintering a range of commercial silver and copper conducting inks from Intrinsiq, Sun Chemical, Xerox and others on plastic substrates
• Compatible with in situ operation on synchrotron beam line by means of a remote illumination chamber physically separated from the power supply by at least 3 m.
• Illumination chamber must provide illumination of up to 7 J/cm^2 over 150 cm^2 (i.e. 13 cm (5") dia) and have a mass of not more than 11.3 kg (25 lb))
• Pulse duration of 0.100 to 5.0 ms
• Pulse frequency of 0.5 to 20 Hz
• Illumination wavelength range of (240 to 1100) nm
• Drop-in replacement lamp capable of providing identical performance specifications to above
Market research has shown that Xenon Corporation is the sole company who can provide this requirement.

The resulting purchase order will be a Firm Fixed Price purchase order.

NAICS code for this procurement will be 335110 - Electric Lamp Bulb and Part Manufacturing with a small business size standard of 1,250 employees.

No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, interested parties who regard themselves as capable of fulfilling these requirements are invited to submit responses to the Government for consideration. Responses received by 6/26/2017 will be considered by the Government.

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.

[email protected] Primary
[email protected] Secondary
National Institutes of Standards and Technologies NIST
Acquisition Management Division (AMD)
100 Bureau Dr. Mail Stop 1640
Gaithersburg, MD. 20899-1640