40178-3C-RFP - Substrate Tilt-Enabled Thin Film Deposition Tool

BACKGROUND:
Notice is hereby given by the University of Ottawa of the intent to enter into a contract with Angstrom Engineering to procure a Substrate Tilt-Enabled Thin Film Deposition Tool.

PROCESS;
Suppliers who consider their equipment functional, successfully tested, readily available and fully compliant to the ACAN minimum requirements may submit in writing a statement of specifications to the contact person identified in this Notice, on or before the closing date of this Notice.  In the statement of specifications, the supplier must unequivocally demonstrate how their equipment, at minimum, equals, or exceeds the stated requirements.

If no other supplier submits a statement of specifications, on or before the closing date of this Notice, the competitive requirements of the University of Ottawa will be considered having been met. Following notification to suppliers not successful in unequivocally demonstrating that their statement of specifications equals or exceeds the requirements set out in this Notice, the contract may then be awarded to the pre-identified supplier.

Date of issue: May 1, 2025, 2025   
Closing Date: May 27, 2025, at 3:00:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

INTENDED USE:

This system will be complimenting an existing tool located at the University of Ottawa; The new system must have comparable and upgraded capabilities and must be complete. The system consists of two main glove boxes equipped with two evaporator systems and their components:

Box 1: Wet Box • 4-Port glovebox • Gas purification system with high-capacity solvent removal • Automatic purge • ø6 in antechamber • ø15 in T-style antechamber with automatic control • Edwards nXDS-10i pump for antechambers

Box 2: Fabrication • (2) directly connected 4-port gloveboxes • Gas purification system • Automatic purge • Integration of Organic and Metal deposition systems • Shelving in the deep sections of the box • (2) ø6 in antechambers (left end and right end) • Edwards nXDS-10i pump for antechambers

GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND PRIMARY COMPONENTS:
The tool we are requesting has two evaporators integrated into a series of glove boxes. Evaporator 1 has a glancing angle deposition (GLAD) stage which will facilitate deposition of porous organic thin films which act as the semiconductor in sensors. Evaporator 2 is dedicated to metal evaporation which requires higher temperatures compared to organics. To produce high performing devices it is critical to separation metal and organic depositions to reduce. Integration into gloveboxes is critical to avoid exposure to oxygen and moisture between layer depositions. The glove box will also provide space to assemble and characterize the preliminary devices without needing to encapsulate or expose to uncontrolled environments. For example, changing the surface properties of a wafer prior to deposition can influence how the organic layer grows on the surface and ultimately leads to different films.

The HIIT CFI project will develop technologies based on thin films and interfaces. The project related to this system looks to develop organic thin film sensors for the detection of various chemical and biological analytes. The tool will enable the deposition of the active layers with controlled porosity and microstructure. By varying the thickness and the porosity we can tune the surface area to volume ratio of the active layer which will lead to optimization of the sensitivity and selectivity of our next generation sensors. The active layers will be incorporated into different electronic sensor platforms with multiple interlayers and interfaces which need to be controlled.

FUNCTIONALITY:
This section describes the Minimum Technical Requirements and performance standards for the Substrate Tilt-Enabled Thin Film Deposition Tool.

i) One Dedicated Organic deposition system comprising:     
System Frame and Enclosure

• Built on a powder coated solid welded steel enclosure with a compact footprint
• Access to the cabinet is provided through removable and swing out panels

• 400 mm W × 400 mm D × 710 mm H: 6061-T6 aluminum high vacuum box chamber
• Glass bead blast finish on chamber surfaces
• Hinged chamber front door for easy internal access
• Large viewport offset to reduce material deposition
• One set removable stainless steel debris shields

• Field evaluated to meet CSA SPE-1000 certification
• A detailed safety, alert and interlock system helps protect users as well as the equipment
• The interlock system is a complete set of hardware interlocks managed with a separate safety circuit on a safety rated relay as well as a set of software interlocks
• A 3-light beacon provides a visual indicator of system status

• Adds sliding door for direct mounting to a glovebox
• Hinged rear access door allows chamber access from the room side

• Compatibility with existing Aeres software

• CTI Cryo-Torr 8 high vacuum pump
• Model 8200 helium compressor
• 10 ft helium lines
• Isolated using a VAT gate valve
• Automatic pumping, venting and regeneration
• Base pressure of < 9E-8 Torr in a clean & dry system

• Air cooled, non-contact, multi-staged roots pump provides the most reliable particle-free vacuum generation • Bearing purge can pull in room air and doesn't require a pressurized N2 source
• UL, CE, and NRTL rated
• Highest water vapor pumping of any air cooled dry pump
• High pumping speeds at atmosphere
• Non-contact design requires maintenance once per 3-5 years based on extensive field data • Better than rotary vane: No more frequent oil changes or costly rebuilds
• Better than scroll: Eliminate the hassle of tip seal, bearing replacement and base pressure drift

• RADAK I evaporation source
• 2 cc crucible with a 1 cc charge capacity
• High purity alumina crucible included, liners sold separately
• Temperature range ambient - 1200 °C
• Control source via temperature or deposition rate
• Includes additional SCR based power controller w/ infinite resolution to allow furnace to operate in idle mode

• Sensor is mounted to a rigid bracket to prevent loss of calibration if accidently moved • Sensor is water cooled to improve reading accuracy

• Fixturing provides tilt and rotation motions that are eucentric about the center of the front surface of a substrate
• Software-based servomotor control package provides primary and secondary axis rotation
• Supports sample sizes up to 100 mm x 100 mm
• 0 - 30 RPM continuous sample rotation capability
• ± 95° tilting capability

• Temperature control from ambient to 350 °C
• PID based temperature control using a non-contact reference thermocouple
• Other temperature ranges are available

• Automatic process controlled pneumatic shutter
• Uses a high quality magnetic fluid rotary feedthrough

• Automatic process controlled pneumatic shutters
• Uses high quality magnetic fluid rotary feedthroughs

• Compatibility with existing holders and fixtures

• 400 mm W × 400 mm D × 710 mm H: 6061-T6 aluminum high vacuum box chamber
• Glass bead blast finish on chamber surfaces
• Hinged chamber front door for easy internal access • Large viewport offset to reduce material deposition
• One set removable stainless steel debris shields

• Field evaluated to meet CSA SPE-1000 certification
• A detailed safety, alert and interlock system helps protect users as well as the equipment
• The interlock system is a complete set of hardware interlocks managed with a separate safety circuit on a safety rated relay as well as a set of software interlocks
• A 3-light beacon provides a visual indicator of system status

• Pfeiffer Adixen ATH 1600 series maglev turbo pump

• 1600 l/s pumping speed range
• 1360 l/s N2 pumping
• 5-axis magnetically levitated turbopump with drag stage
• Profibus OBC V4 with integrated drive electronics
• High gas throughput and high pumping speed Compression ratio for Ar > 1E8 Compression ratio for H2 > 5E2 Compression ratio for He > 1E3 Compression ratio for N2 > 1E8
• Suitable for industrial environments
• CE marked and ROHS compliant
• ISO-F 200 mounting flange with an ISO NW 40 outlet

• Inficon MPG 400 full range vacuum sensor Combination gauge – Inverted Magnetron & Pirani Wide measurement range from 3.75E-9 Torr to atmosphere No filament to burn out, & easy to clean
• Base pressure of < 2E-7 Torr in a clean & dry system

• Air cooled, non-contact, multi-staged roots pump provides the most reliable particle-free vacuum generation • Bearing purge can pull in room air and doesn't require a pressurized N2 source
• UL, CE, and NRTL rated
• Highest water vapor pumping of any air cooled dry pump
• High pumping speeds at atmosphere
• Non-contact design requires maintenance once per 3-5 years based on extensive field data

• 2500 VA transformer
• Scalable output voltage up to 10 V provides a wide voltage range without the need to change high current cables at the transformer

• SCR-based power controller w/ infinite resolution
• Co-deposition source capability determined by power controller quantity

• Useful for removing excessive heat during very high temperature and long duration depositions

• Sensor is mounted to a rigid bracket to prevent loss of calibration if accidently moved
• Sensor is water cooled to improve reading accuracy

• Designed for substrates up to 100 mm x 100 mm
• Custom sample holders available upon request
• Source to substrate distance varies with configuration
• 0 - 30 RPM continuous rotation capability

• Automatic process controlled pneumatic shutter
• Uses a high quality magnetic fluid rotary feedthrough

• Adds sliding door for direct mounting to a glovebox
• Hinged rear access door allows chamber access from the room side

• Compatibility with existing holders and fixtures

• Proprietary operating software: The system is run with proprietary software which we have used on the existing system since its arrival in 2016. Over 96 researchers have been trained to use this system and have generated specific procedures for acquiring data. Prof. Lessard’s group has developed expertise, recipes, formulations and SOPs based on this existing system. This acquired knowledge could not be directly translated to a new software or operating system. It would require the team to become proficient in a new software from a new supplier then redevelop and re-troubleshoot the unique recipes and procedures used to acquire the original data to ensure we can replicate our data. This will mean we are essentially starting over.

• Custom Holders and fixtures: To be able to fabricate a device there are aluminum (or stainless steel) holders which hold our unique substrates at a specific geometry. We have worked with Angstrom Engineering for 8 years to develop custom holders which are compatible with their system and our substrates. We have maximized location and quantity of substrates as well as optimized the backplate magnet location and strength without compromising film uniformity and morphology which is unique to system. By getting an Angstrom system our holders can be transferred from one system to another seamlessly reducing the need for redesigning holders, modifying operating procedures, retooling and troubleshooting. We will be able to start a device stack in one machine and finish in the second machine with the same holders. Working with a new supplier would require a re-design of the holder to ensure similar control over the system, holder and substrate interactions leading to required controllable thin film properties of the substrate.