The Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is conducting a sources sought notice for a tunable laser, specifically a 780 nm laser, as part of its CHIPS R&D Program. The laser is required for mass sensing experiments related to atomic layer deposition processes critical in semiconductor manufacturing, aiming to enhance measurement capabilities and optimize fabrication yields. NIST intends to issue a sole source award to Toptica Photonics Inc if no other capable sources are identified, with responses due to the primary contact, Nina Lin, at nina.lin@nist.gov. This procurement is essential for meeting project milestones by early FY26, and interested parties are encouraged to respond with detailed capabilities and specifications.

**\*\*\*THIS IS A COMBINED SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE\*\*\***

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. If no alternate sources are identified, the Government intends to issue a Sole Source Award to Toptica Photonics Inc, 1120 Pittsford Victor Rd, Pittsford, NY, under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing.

**BACKGROUND**

As part of the CHIPS R&D Program, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML), Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division (MND), works on sensing methods using micromechanical resonators to perform critical physical measurements for measurands including acceleration, pressure, sound, and mass. For this procurement, the MND require a tunable laser that will used in mass sensing experiments for atomic layer deposition processes used widely in semiconductor manufacturing.

The MND requires a tunable diode laser operating around a wavelength of 780 nm to perform laser interferometry on microwave acoustic devices. These devices are being used to characterize atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes, providing high time and mass resolution for the deposition dynamics of these processes. This is part of a larger effort to perform high-fidelity process metrology for ALD and use the resulting data sets to build a digital twin of ALD processes. ALD is essential for state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing, where it is used to create electrical isolation layers in transistors that are a countable number of atoms thick. The resulting ALD digital twin will allow U.S. manufacturers to optimize process conditions using virtual models, thereby increasing fabrication yield and pushing towards the fundamental limits of transistor performance.

Implementing the laser interferometer in the near term is essential to the success of the project because it provides the ultimate sensitivity for detecting the deposition of single atomic layers at high measurement rates. Fabrication of the microwave acoustic resonators will be completed within the fourth quarter of FY25. The laser must be purchased in early FY26 to meet the milestone of demonstrating our new measurement method with interferometric detection by the end of FY26.

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:

**Line Item 0001: Tunable 780 nm laser  
Quantity:  1**

**Key Capabilities**

The tunable laser must include the following:

1. A laser head design based on a tunable external cavity with a laser diode. The laser head must include a polarization maintaining fiber output and an optical isolator to protect the laser diode from reflected laser power. The laser wavelength must be tunable using a coarse adjustment stage, a piezoelectric actuator, the laser diode current, and the laser diode temperature, where these tuning methods must be able to operate simultaneously. The coarse adjustment stage for tuning must be capable of being upgraded with a precision motor control for hands-free tuning.
2. A laser controller with power and control electronics for tuning the laser using the diode temperature, the diode current, and external cavity piezoelectric actuator methods. The controller must have an interactive screen for selecting operational modes, setting parameters, visualizing optical resonances of an optically interrogated cavity as the laser tunes, and selecting resonances for locking. The controller must be fully digital with 24 bit inputs for the best control resolution.
3. The laser controller must include laser locking capabilities, including locking to the “top of fringe” and ‘side of fringe” methods for an optical resonance or atomic absorption line. The controller must include proportion-integral-derivative (PID) controllers and algorithms for implementing laser locks. Further, the controller must have a signal generator for modulation schemes and an integrated lock-in amplifier for implementing frequency-modulated locking methods.

**Technical Specifications**

1. Minimum wavelength range: 770 nm ≤ wavelength ≤ 815 nm
2. Mode-hop free tuning range: ≥ 20 GHz
3. Maximum power at 780 nm: ≥ 35 mW at the exit of a polarization maintaining optical fiber connected to the laser’s fiber coupled output
4. Typical instantaneous linewidth: ≤ 1 kHz
5. Beam polarization: Linear > 100:1
6. First mechanical resonance frequency of the external cavity piezoelectric actuator: > 4.5 kHz
7. Fiber coupling efficiency: > 55%
8. Optical isolation efficiency: > 60 dB
9. Optical isolator transmission for above wavelength range: > 80%
10. PID controller bandwidth: > 25 kHz
11. Modulation frequency for resonance locking: Up to 150 kHz

NIST conducted market research from April to December 2025 by performing internet searches, reviewing product literature, and speaking with vendors to determine what sources could meet NIST’s minimum requirements. The results of that market research revealed that only Toptica Photonics Inc (UEI: EYC4JKCBA7J9) appears to be capable of meeting NIST’s requirements.

**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 in this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice.  Please note that to be considered for award under any official solicitation, the entity must be registered and “active” in SAM at the time of solicitation response.

* 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).

* Identify the equipment that your company sells that can meet the objectives addressed in the BACKGROUND section of this notice.  For each product recommended to meet the Government’s requirement, provide the following:
  + Manufacturer name
  + Model number
  + Technical specifications
  + If your company is not the manufacturer, provide information on your company’s status as an authorized reseller of the product(s)

* Describe performance capabilities of the product(s) your company recommends to meet the Government’s requirements.  Additionally, if there are other features or functions that you believe would assist NIST in meeting its objectives described above, please discuss in your response.
  + Discuss whether the equipment that your company sells and which you describe in your response to this notice may be customized to specifications and indicate any limits to customization.

* Identify any aspects of the NIST market research notice, including instructions, and draft minimum specifications in the BACKGROUND section you cannot meet and state why.  Please offer suggestions for how the market research notice and draft minimum specifications could be made more competitive.

* State whether the proposed equipment is manufactured in the United States and, if not, state the name of the country where the equipment is manufactured.

* Identify any plans/possibilities for changes in manufacturing location of the aforementioned equipment and provide relevant details, including timeline.

* For the NAICS code listed in this notice:

* + 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.

* + If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement.

* Describe services that are available with the purchase of the aforementioned equipment from your company such as installation, training, and equipment maintenance.

* Describe standard terms and conditions of sale offered by your company for the recommended equipment such as: delivery time after your company accepts the order; FOB shipping terms; manufacturer warranty (including details regarding nature and duration); if available, description(s) of available extended warranty; equipment setup and test; operator and service instruction manual(s); cleanup after installation; and if applicable, other offered services.  Provide a copy of manufacturer standard terms and conditions that typically relate to the sale of the specified equipment, if available.

* State whether your company offers facility renovation services related to installation of the recommended equipment at its delivery destination, if required per the NIST-identified minimum specifications, and provide description of said services.  Indicate if your company performs the facility renovation services or typically subcontracts the work to another company.  Indicate if your company would be interested in inspecting the intended installation site during the market research phase.

* State published price, discount, or rebate arrangements for recommended equipment and/or provide link to access company’s published prices for equipment and services.

* If the recommended equipment and related services are available for purchase on any existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts against which NIST may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.

* Identify any customers in the public or private sectors to which you provided the recommended or similar equipment.  Include customer(s) information: company name, phone number, point of contact, email address.

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

* State if you require NIST to provide additional information to improve your understanding of the government’s requirement and/or would like to meet with NIST representatives to discuss the requirement and the capabilities of the identified equipment.

**QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE**

Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received 5 calendar days prior to the response date. If the Contracting Officer determines that providing a written amendment to this notice to document question(s) received would benefit other potential respondents, the questions would be anonymized, and a written response to such question(s) would be provided via an amendment to this notice.

**IMPORTANT NOTES**

This notice is for market research purposes and should not be construed as a commitment by NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. There is no solicitation available at this time.

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response.

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

Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s capability.

Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.

After a review of the responses received, a synopsis and solicitation may be published on GSA’s eBuy or SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered an adequate response to any such solicitation(s).

The responses shall not exceed 10 pages including all attachments, charts, etc.

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

Interferometry Laser - Combined Sources Sought Notice and Notice of Intent to Sole Source

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