Strategic & Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S2MARTS) Request for Solutions (RFS) in support of Microelectronics Commons (The Commons) Proj...

Special Notice N0016423SNB20Agency: Department of the NavyOffice: Naval Sea Systems CommandLocation: NSWC Crane DivisionClassification Code(s):• AD92 - R&D- Defense Other: Other (Applied Research/ Exploratory Development)• AD93 - R&D- Defense Other: Other (Advanced Development)• AD94 - R&D- Defense Other: Other (Engineering Development)• AE12 - R&D- Economic Growth: Employment Growth/ Productivity (Applied Research/ Exploratory Development)• AE13 - R&D- Economic Growth: Employment Growth/ Productivity (Advanced Development)• AE14 - R&D- Economic Growth: Employment Growth/ Productivity (Engineering Development)• AJ13 - R&D- General Science/Technology: Physical Sciences (Advanced Development); General Science and Technology R&D Svcs; General Science & Technology; Experimental Development• OCC 255 - Research and Development ContractsNAICS Code(s):• 541713 - Research and Development in Nanotechnology• 611310 - Colleges, Universities, and Professional SchoolsResponse Due Date: 28 February

2023Strategic & Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S2MARTS)Request for Solutions (RFS) in support ofMicroelectronics Commons (The Commons)Project No. 22-161. PURPOSEThere is a need for domestic prototyping capability, including infrastructure, to accelerate technology demonstration by enabling materials, processes, devices, and architectural designs to be developed and quickly ported and re-characterized as they are transitioned from university or other R&D laboratory facilities to small-volume prototyping and then scaled up for large-scale prototyping, fabrication and production. Due to the complexity and market value of today’s integrated microelectronic (ME) systems and the lack of adequate on-shore prototyping in which intellectual property (IP) can be protected, there is an urgent need to establish a network of domestic prototyping facilities to demonstrate, at-scale, the system-level benefits of innovations in microelectronics materials, processes, devices, and architectural designs. Demonstrating at-scale commercial viability is required to close the gap between university, small business and other laboratory innovations and marketplace adoption. However, at-scale prototyping is high-risk, expensive and often not readily available at scale for other than large and established companies. As a result, small and mid-size companies and universities have a great difficulty bridging the gap between research ideas and translation of those ideas into microelectronics hardware prototypes. In particular, prototyping capabilities for six technology areas that are important to the Department of Defense (DoD) will be supported with seed projects in order to partially offset prototyping facility operating costs and to give these facilities experience in supporting outside users. These areas include secure edge/Internet of Things (IoT) computing, 5G/6G technology, artificial intelligence hardware, quantum technology, electronic warfare, and commercial leap ahead technologies. While each is important to the DoD, it is also likely that these areas may have substantial dual-use marketability. By definition, a prototype developed through an OTA may include a physical or virtual model used to evaluate the technical or manufacturing feasibility or military utility of a particular technology or process, concept, end item, or system.The Government will evaluate the solutions with the intent of awarding up to nine (9) hubs under the S2MARTS Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) in accordance with 10 U.S. Code § 4022. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code § 4022 (f), and upon a determination that the prototype project (or any subsequent iterative prototyping efforts) was successfully completed under the competitively awarded OTA(s), a follow-on production contract(s) or OTA(s) may be awarded without the use of competitive procedures.2. BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY2.1 S2MARTSVendors interested in responding to this RFS must be members of the S2MARTS consortium. Interested parties may visit S2MARTS.org for membership information. This project will be managed by a Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division Project Manager.2.2 PROJECT OVERVIEWCurrently, significant barriers exist in the domestic ecosystem for small and mid-size businesses, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and universities to conduct microelectronics prototyping and transition technology to large-scale commercial foundries. Major barriers include:a) Lack of access to existing 200 mm and 300-mm. fabs for lab-to-fab prototyping of Silicon-based technologies; lack of access to 150 mm fabs for compound semiconductor technologiesb) High capital costs for process and metrology tooling to support manufacturing of ME technologies.c) High Intellectual Property (IP) and Electronic Design Automation (EDA) design license costs.d) Lack of domestic access to chip carriers, and packaging materials to support integration of electronics including high power electronics, photonic integrated circuits (ICs), radio frequency (RF), low loss electronics, and heterogeneous integration.e) Misalignment of nontraditional defense contractors with existing government processes.f) Lack of a professional, fulltime workforce with the talent and expertise to operate and maintain small-to-large scale prototyping facilities - to include novel materials and requiring new tools and equipment. – and to support technology transition.g) Lack of federated infrastructure investment program.Microelectronics Commons is comprised of Regional Hubs, Cores, and a Consortium Manager. A Hub is a network of regional entities with lab prototyping capabilities and sources of Microelectronics talent for onshore, lab-to-fab transition of semiconductor technologies. Hub composition may include Universities, startups, incubators, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), DoD Labs, Department of Energy (DoE) Labs, semiconductor companies, Defense Industrial Base (DIB) companies, and any entity that adds value to the network. It is anticipated that entities outside of a Region may need to be part of the Hub in order for the Regional Hub to be successful. With regards to Hub composition, the technical capabilities of the Hub is the priority. Hubs have the flexibility to bring in members from any region to be successful in their lab-to-fab efforts. The goal of the Commons is to connect regional organizations through the Hub to accelerate lab-to-fab prototyping based on proximity and to strengthen local economies through a workforce that supports those regions. Achieving that goal may require capabilities external to a Region; i.e., it is not expected that Regional Hubs can be fully self-contained.Hubs will have the flexibility to incorporate a workforce development approach into their Hub model that is tailored to the needs of their regional ecosystem. A holistic approach to developing Hubs’ semiconductor talent pipeline is encouraged as is the consideration of partners such as community colleges, primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs), historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and minority serving institutions (MSIs). Ultimately, Hubs should develop a workforce that can support current and future efforts to accelerate lab-to-fab prototyping.Hub facilities typically include <100-millimeter (mm) and <200-mm tooling for compound semiconductor and silicon-based technologies, respectively. Hubs can also generate and mature prototype candidates for Cores to scale up for subsequent potential selection by NSTC and/or industrial microelectronics companies – fabless or integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) – for commercialization. The role of the Regional Hubs is to connect researchers and designers to prototyping capabilities targeted to regional strengths in the Hub’s technical topic areas. As previously stated, it is anticipated that entities outside of a region may be required in order for the Hub to be successful. Finally, Hubs will be centers of expertise for one or more of the six DoD technology areas, as well as other tech areas they deem appropriate. Hubs that specialize in specific new approaches to types of logic/memory/analog/RF/photonics/ power technologies will also need specialized equipment, materials, processes, tools, and specialized staff expertise.Cores are fabs/foundries - manufacturing facilities where semiconductor devices are manufactured – and can be existing or new facilities, that have scalable capacity for prototyping beyond what the regional Hubs can provide for and are available for use by innovators that run the gamut from university and small business up to large industrial concerns. Cores typically have 300-mm capabilities for silicon-based technologies (other sizes are technology appropriate) and are facilities that can demonstrate prototypes with the volume and characteristics required to ensure reduced risk for manufacturing. Cores serve a dual function: First, they serve to further complement and advance the work of the regional Hubs; i.e., they are integral to the Hubs themselves. For example, they provide capabilities at =200 mm wafer fab for Silicon CMOS-compatible technologies and =100 mm wafer fab for compound semiconductors. Second, they serve to engage with commercial fabs and better align Regional Hubs to commercial processes to facilitate transition of technologies. As such, Cores are an integral part of Hubs, and proposals from stand-alone Cores will not be accepted.Please visit the S2MARTS website at https://s2marts.org/ to review the full RFS.Contracting Office Address:300 Hwy 361Crane, IN 47522United StatesPrimary Point of Contact:Luke Duwelluke.a.duwel.civ@us.navy.milPhone: (812) 854-4818Secondary Point of Contact:Matthew Summersmatthew.s.summers@navy.milPhone: (812) 854-8756