CHIPS R&D: Laser confocal microscope – Combined Sources Sought/Notice of Intent to Sole Source

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a laser confocal microscope for the CHIPS Metrology program. The microscope will be used for imaging photonic integrated circuits and determining dimensions and roughness for these devices. The requirements for the microscope include various imaging modalities such as laser confocal microscopy, white light interferometry, depth-from-focus measurement, and brightfield imaging. The system should feature a high level of automation and be programmable for measuring an entire 100 mm wafer of PIC devices. • The microscope must have an upright optical microscope that is designed for measuring 3D surface profiles with micro- and nanoscale features. • The microscope must have brightfield microscopy, laser confocal microscopy, white light interferometry, depth-from-focus microscopy, and scanning and stitching capabilities. • The microscope must have automated measurement optimization methods and software data analysis tools for extracting critical data from resulting images. • The microscope must have a high-resolution camera and a motorized stage with a range of at least 100 mm x 100 mm.