The intention of this tender is to acquire turnkey solutions for an independent Sputtering System and an independent Evaporation System designed for high quality deposition of materials as well as versatile in accommodating various substrate sizes, tailor-made for research and prototyping endeavors. Both systems must be capable of accommodating up to a single 8-inch (200 mm) diameter wafer. The Sputtering System proposed must have dual Radio Frequency (RF) targets and dual Direct Current (DC) targets. The Evaporation System must include thermal evaporation sources. These tools will be used to perform rapid deposition of materials within the ISO-7 (clean room environment) laboratories of the Advanced Research Center (ARC) at the University of Ottawa. The proposed turnkey solutions must be automated and are expected to be robust, reliable, require low maintenance and incorporate control software that is flexible, user-friendly and accessible for multiple users, including students. The University greatly values extended warranty and the quality of the included elements.
The proposed turnkey solutions must fit in an allocated floor space of 15.4 m3 while allowing for a minimum clearance between both instruments of 600 mm. The proposed system must not include oil pumps.
Compatibility with an existing chilled water loop is a benefit. At most, the University can allocate 6.9L/minute for the cooling of both instruments. The supply temperature of the water loop is 14.6°C and the minimum differential pressure is 15.5 psi. Further details regarding the existing chilled water loop from a recent report in December, 2025, is as follows:
3rd Floor Chilled Loop:
Corrosion inhibitor levels are good at 88 ppm PTSA. pH and conductivity are good. Site inspection of the mechanical room did not reveal any water loss issues. Replenished CL2612 chemical supply tank. Filters are in good condition. System water appears clean and clear at this time.
Water Quality:
pH (Control Range: 8.0-10.5): 7.33
Conductivity (uS/cm): 325
Inhibitor:
PTSA (ppb – Control Range: 80-120): 88
Mandatory Requirements:
1. Sputtering System
1.1 Must include all necessary vacuum pumps. Oil pumps are not permitted.
1.2 Must include safety alert, emergency stop and interlock system.
1.3 Must include a wide range pressure sensor, capable of going down to < 9E-7 Torr.
1.4 Must include 4 sputter sources, 2 DC and 2 RF.
1.5 Must include a minimum 1.0 kW pulsed DC power supply for sputtering in DC or in pulsed DC modes.
1.6 Must include a high impulse power magnetron sputtering unit with a minimum average power of 1 kW; capable of operating to at least 10 kHz with a pulse duration selectable in at least the range from 3 to 10 microseconds; and include an oscilloscope for monitoring.
1.7 Must include an RF power supply with an automatic impedance matching network for sputtering. The proposed power supply must operate at a minimum of 600 W.
1.8 Must include a switch to enable the power supply to be shared between 2 sputtering targets.
1.9 Must include a plasma source with an RF power generator capable of a minimum of 1000 W as well as automatic impedance matching. The plasma source must also include stainless steel gas lines, gas control with 3 mass flow controllers and sufficient spare filaments with mounting jig for installation, commissioning and training.
1.10 Must include downstream gas control for reactive sputtering (Ar + 2 reactive gases) and integration with all applicable operating software.
1.11 Must include calibration Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) deposition sensor.
1.12 Must include a substrate stage assembly capable of accomodating one substrate of diameter up to 200 mm (8 inch), as well as smaller diameter substrates and pieces. The stage assembly must be capable of rotating at a rate adjustable between 10 to 30 RPM; include linear translation for substrate motion; include backside quartz lamp substrate heating to at least 800 oC with non-contact feedback PID control; and provide RF substrate bias using 100 W RF source with matching network.
1.13 Must include 4 source shutters.
1.14 Must be able to accommodate a process control ellipsometer used for real-time in situ film characterisation.
1.15 Must be able to accommodate a load lock, including pumps.
1.16 Must include chamber inner wall shield/cover plates.
2. Evaporation System
2.1 Must include all necessary vacuum pumps. Oil pumps are not permitted.
2.2 Must include safety alert, emergency stop and interlock system.
2.3 Must include a wide range pressure sensor, capable of going down to < 9E-7 Torr.
2.4 Must include source isolation and chamber debris shields.
2.5 Must include two thermal evaporation sources, each with a scalable output voltage without the need to change cabling.
2.6 Must include power controllers, deposition controllers and monitoring Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) sensors to enable simultaneous thermal co-deposition from two sources.
2.7 Must include a material database that includes densities, Z-factors and process recipes.
2.8 Must include a substrate stage assembly capable of accomodating one substrate of diameter up to 200 mm (8 inch), as well as smaller diameter substrates and pieces. The substrate stage assembly must be capable of rotating at a rate adjustable between 10 to 30 RPM, and include backside quartz lamp substrate heating to at least 500 oC with non-contact feedback PID control.
2.9 Must include a substrate shutter.
2.10 Must be able to be upgraded in the future to four (4) thermal sources with co-deposition capabilities. Pricing for this option should be included in Appendix C, under options.
2.11 Must include chamber inner wall shield/cover plates.
3. Accessories
3.1 The solution must include an independent computer for each of the turnkey solutions capable of running all required software. The solution must also include all necessary peripherals (monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc). Both desktop computers and laptops are acceptable, however it must run on Windows 11 Enterprise or newer.
3.2 Must include an independent software package for each of the turnkey solutions, preferably with similar GUIs, that can control each of the the Sputtering System and Evaporator, storing and implementing recipes, automatically logging tool status and run data, controlling all system parameters and managing all safety features.
3.3 If any aspect of the proposed turnkey solutions cannot connect to the existing chilled water loop (maximum allowance of 6.9L/minute for the entire turn-key solution), a chiller(s) must be included.
3.4 All vacuum pumps within the proposed turnkey solutions must be factory/pre-installation tested to verify full functionality, including minimum vacuum levels that are achievable.
4. Other Requirements
4.1 The proposed solution must fit within an allocated floor space of 15.4 m3 while allowing for a minimum clearance of 600mm between both instruments.
4.2 Must include on-site installation by a qualified engineer.
4.3 Must include on-site training at the University of Ottawa by a qualified engineer for a minimum of four (4) users. The training must be for a minimum of two (2) business days in length (eight (8) hours per day).
4.4 Must include a minimum of one (1) year of warranty on parts and labour.
4.5 Must include perpetual software maintenance updates for as long as the software is supported and for all software included in the proposed turnkey solutions.
4.6 Proposal must include a complete site preparation guide/checklist outlining the lab preparation requirements and facilities needed for the installation and operation of the entire turnkey solutions (main tools and auxiliary components).
4.7 The proposal must include both turnkey solutions as described in this Request for Proposals (RFP) and must include all required equipment and accessories necessary to meet all Mandatory Requirements. The University will not accept proposals for only a portion of the Deliverables described in this RFP.
4.8 CSA certification or equivalent is required, as per the Electrical Safety Authority:
https://esasafe.com/electrical-products/recognized-certification-marks/.
If any electrical components do not arrive with an acceptable certification marking, the University must be allowed to open/modify the instrument as required in order to have it CSA Certified. Said inspection/modification, if required, must not void any warranty.
