SPECIAL NOTICE
A -- Silicon Carbide High-Efficiency Power Switches
- Notice Date
- 6/12/2012
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- ACC-APG - RTP, ATTN: AMSSB-ACR, Research Triangle Park Contracting Division, P.O. Box 12211, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211
- ZIP Code
- 27709-2211
- Solicitation Number
- W911NF-12-R-0012-SPECIAL-HEPS
- Archive Date
- 9/10/2012
- Point of Contact
- Joseph L. Morse, (919) 549-4311
- E-Mail Address
-
ACC-APG - RTP
(joseph.l.morse6.civ@mail.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The Silicon Carbide (SiC) High-Efficiency Power Switches (HEPS) program is a four-year joint Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD)/Army basic and applied research effort focused on increasing SiC starting material (substrates and epi-wafers) growth and device process technology from 4" to 6" diameter for fabrication of cost-effective high-efficiency power devices. This program also endeavors to push the state of the art in current density (at high-efficiency), die size, and operating voltage for both continuous and pulse duty power devices within the constraints of meeting Army intermediate cost and process yield goals listed in Table 1 below. By transitioning the SiC technology to the larger diameter starting material and the larger area device processes that it enables, the cost (a critical risk factor in the use of this technology by the Army and the rest of the Department of Defense (DoD)) of the resultant power devices will be reduced significantly. The U.S. Army Contracting Command - Aberdeen Proving Ground, Research Triangle Park Division, on behalf of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate (SEDD) is soliciting proposals for the SiC HEPS program under Topic 1.4.3, "Wide Band-Gap Power Devices," of the ARL Core Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Basic and Applied Scientific Research for Fiscal Years 2012 through 2017 at W911NF-12-R-0011. Funding is currently available for the award of one cooperative agreement related to the SiC HEPS program beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012. While the BAA and Topic remain open for proposal submission until, 31 March 2017, in order to be eligible for the agreement to be awarded with the funding available for FY 2012, proposals must be received in accordance with the due dates and instructions provided in this announcement. It is anticipated that the single "cooperative agreement" (31 USC 6305) will be awarded, pursuant to 10 USC 2358 Research Projects, in the total estimated amount of $17,000,000.00 over a 4-year period of performance.with approximate funding profile: FY12 - $300,000.00, FY13 - $5,000,000.00, FY14 - $5,000,000.00, FY15 - $4,700,000.00, FY16 - $ 2,000,000.00 The principal purpose of the cooperative agreement is for the public purpose of the support and stimulation of fundamental research and not the acquisition of property or provision of services for the direct benefit or use of the Government. The Recipient of the cooperative agreement will work collaboratively with scientists from ARL to further the SiC HEPS program. ARL will participate in the research and use its strong in-house technical expertise to jointly plan and execute the research program with the Recipient. ARL will evaluate the fabricated power devices to Army-specific circuit stresses and analye the devices' electrical and physical response. These analyses and supporting data will be shared with the Recipient and ways to augment the device design, process and or starting material to improve performance will be jointly determined. ARL's Device Reliability Physics, Circuit and Pulse Switch teams will participate in this collaboration. Research and Development solutions are sought for transition of SiC material growth and power device process technology from 4" to 6" diameter to support development of 1.2 kV metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) rated at 100 to 300 A for continuous power and 12-20 kV gate turn-off thyristors (GTOs) rated at 3.8 to 9 kA for pulse duty (1 ms) applications. Table 1 below, provides end-of-first-year, intermediate and final goals for the program for both starting material and power devices. Please note that FY13 goals are go/no-go metrics that must be met in order for the offerer to secure funding for the remaining 3 years of the program. Note that while these FY13 goals are 'hero' goals (best R&D), the FY15 and final goals are ascribed to median values for process lots. These material and device solutions are aimed at providing compact power devices (high power density) at the highest efficiency possible with reliable operation at junction temperatures (Tj) from 150 to 200 C. MOSFETs resulting from this program are expected to operate continuously at liquid cooled heat sink temperatures from 100 to 113 C. The high-voltage GTOs and diodes are expected to operate at high current densities (see table 1) in a 70 C ambient without the benefit of liquid cooling and will need to sustain multiple pulses in a pulse train until limiting junction temperature is attained. These bipolar pulse devices are expected to have at least a 1000 shot life under these conditions. Since the HEPS program goals align well with current 1.2 kV and future high-voltage commercial applications it is expected that an offeror will invest at least matching funds in this effort for equipment purchases that will provide a capacity (see Table 1) to grow 6" starting material (substrates and epi wafers) and process power devices on this starting material. There will be no equipment purchases using federal funds. Further, to reduce risk in this program, an offerer must already be commercially producing 4"4H N-SiC starting material (substrates and epi-wafers) as indicated by listings in offerer's commercial catalogue in order to respond to this announcement. In order to be eligible for the cooperative agreement to be awarded with the FY2012 funding for this program,offerors are to submit proposals in accordance with the submissions instructions under BAA W911NF-12-R-0011 no later than 11 July 2012. Proposals will be evaluated using the criteria listed in the BAA. Any Questions concerning the award(s) process shall be directed to: Joseph "Skip" Morse by email: joseph.l.morse6.civ@mail.mil. This special notice expires 11 July 2012 at 11:159 PM (EST). Table will be provide upon request.
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