The Department of Commerce, specifically the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is seeking responses for a Sources Sought notice regarding the procurement of a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) to support its semiconductor metrology program. The VNA will be utilized in a project focused on high-power waveform metrology, which is critical for improving the accuracy of RF measurements in semiconductor manufacturing processes. This equipment is essential for establishing traceability in high-power RF signals, thereby enhancing the reliability of measurements that impact chip quality and yield. Interested vendors should contact Cielo Ibarra at cielo.ibarra@nist.gov for further details and submit their responses by the specified deadlines, ensuring they do not include proprietary information.

NIST-SS26-CHIPS-36

**PLEASE NOTE THIS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY**

Title:  **Vector Network Analyzer**

**BACKGROUND**

The semiconductor supply chain is global, specialized, and interconnected. Chipmakers do business with thousands of individual suppliers that provide the highly complex materials and tools used to produce semiconductors. To address the lack of full visibility into the semiconductors markets supply chain and R&D ecosystem gaps NIST will conduct the measurement science, or metrology, critical to the development of new materials, packaging, and production methods in chip manufacturing.

This SOW describes equipment needed for a project “RF Waveform and Rapid Frequency-Comb Diagnostics for Plasma Etching”, which is part of the CHIPS metrology program’s Grand Challenge 5, “Modeling/Simulating Semiconductor Manufacturing Processes”. The equipment will be purchased by NIST’s RF Technology Division. Part of the mission of the RF technology division is to develop techniques for fundamental electromagnetic metrology.

In this case, the research project “RF Waveform and Rapid Frequency-Comb Diagnostics for Plasma Etching” focuses on high-power waveform metrology. High-power RF waveforms are used in semiconductor plasma processing, including etching and deposition processes. These processing steps are very common in semiconductor manufacturing. The characteristics of the waveforms impact the quality of the resulting chips. But industry lacks the ability to accurately measure these waveforms. We aim to close that gap by developing high-power waveform measurement techniques.

One of the key tools for our approach to waveform metrology is a Vector Network Analyzers (VNA). The VNA will be used to characterize the measurement system, including the waveguides, couplers, connectors, and other components that complicate the interpretation of radiofrequency (RF) measurements. This characterization will be accomplished by well-established techniques such as the Short-Open-Load calibration, with additional amplitude and phase calibrations. By characterizing these components, we aim to measure the amplitudes and phases of RF waves at a specified reference plane (i.e., the RF connector of a plasma chamber).

We plan to measure RF signals at kilowatt power levels. External directional couplers with an approximately 60 dB coupling ratio will be used to sample the high-power waveform, so that the VNA is not damaged. To use this technique, we require direct access to the a-wave and b-wave receivers to bypass the VNA’s internal couplers. Many models of VNAs have front jumpers to allow for direct receiver access.

The planned measurements involve signals with both milliwatt and kilowatt power levels at the device under test (DUT) reference plane. Thus, high dynamic range and low noise floor are important for this application.

Plasma is nonlinear and generates harmonics and intermodulation products. Some VNAs are able to perform phase-coherent measurements of harmonics and intermodulation products, so that repetitive time-domain waveforms can be reconstructed from measurements of the different frequency components. This approach is called Large Signal Network Analysis (LSNA). To use VNA as an LSNA, there are two requirements for the VNA.

* First, the VNA must allow for frequency-offset measurements. In frequency-offset measurements, the receivers are set to a different frequency that the source(s). This allows for the VNA to measure harmonics of the source frequency.
* Second, the VNA needs to be able to coherently and simultaneously measure the forward and backward waves at all of the DUT ports, as well as an additional port where a phase reference (such as a comb generator) is attached.

Project 5.04 requires a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA). VNAs are a ubiquitous and fundamental tool in RF measurement science. In the semiconductor industry, S-parameters are integral to establishing the reliability of electrical measurement tools that monitor and control the RF signals delivered during etching and deposition processes. These tools ensure processes are consistent from wafer to wafer, thus increasing yield. Project 5.04 aims to establish traceability for these measurements. Traceability will help manufactures make these measurements more accurate and consistent.

The VNA is critical for project 5.04 to establish traceability for high power signals. In the 5.04 Project Plan, all of the deliverables related to RF measurements we have planned rely on the VNA being delivered at NIST by early FY26. These measurements are a key part of our effort to establish traceability for high-power waveform measurements is, which is one of the main goals of Project 5.04. We anticipate that traceability for high-power RF signals will allow NIST to support the semiconductor industry by disseminating precision RF measurement techniques and allowing us to perform high-quality measurements to inform models of manufacturing processes.

These are the minimum requirements are as follows:

**Line Item 0001:**

**Description:  Vector Network Analyzer**

**Quantity:  One (1)**

1. Technical Specifications
   1. The VNA shall operate between 200 kHz and 8 GHz, at least.
   2. The VNA shall have direct receiver access. When using direct receiver access, the VNA will be able to both source and measure frequencies across the entire bandwidth of operation (at least 200 kHz to 8 GHz).
   3. The VNA shall have 4 measurement ports.
   4. The VNA shall have the ability to measure harmonics and intermodulation products by setting the receivers to a different frequency than the source. These capabilities shall exist across the entire bandwidth of operation (at least 200 kHz to 8 GHz).
   5. The VNA shall be able to coherently and simultaneously acquire signals from the forward and backward wave receivers on all ports.

**Line Item 0002:  OPTION LINE ITEM**

**Description:  Source step attenuators (port 1)**

**Quantity: 1**

1. Technical Specifications
   1. The source step attenuators are variable attenuators that diminish the output power of the source on port 1.

**Line Item 0003:  OPTION LINE ITEM**

**Description:  Source step attenuators (port 2)**

**Quantity: 1**

1. Technical Specifications
   1. The source step attenuators are variable attenuators that diminish the output power of the source on port 2.

**Line Item 0004:  OPTION LINE ITEM**

**Description:  Receiver step attenuators (port 1)**

**Quantity: 1**

1. Technical Specifications
   1. The receiver step attenuators diminish the power reaching the receiver on port 1.

**Line Item 0005:  OPTION LINE ITEM**

**Description:  Receiver step attenuators (port 2)**

**Quantity: 1**

1. Technical Specifications
   1. The receiver step attenuators diminish the power reaching the receiver on port 2.

**Line Item 0006:  OPTION LINE ITEM**

**Description:  2nd LO and RF source**

**Quantity: 1**

1. Technical Specifications
   1. The VNA shall have two signal generators to facilitate mixing product measurements.
   2. The VNA shall have two local oscillators, so that the phases of signals at two different frequencies can be simultaneously measured.

**HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE**

In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, 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.

•           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).

•           Details about what your company is capable of providing that meets or exceeds NIST’s minimum requirements and its past experience with design and manufacture of magneto-resistive sensors. Any relevant past performance.

•           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 firm’s ability to fully participate in a procurement for such services and explain why.  Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses.

•           For the NAICS code

o          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.

o          If you believe the NAICS and/or Product Service Code code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS/PSC code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement.

•           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.

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

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

•           Please let us know if you would like to engage to get 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.

**QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE**

Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 10, 2025.  Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline.

**IMPORTANT NOTES**

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request.

Buyer

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