Combined Sources Sought Notice/Notice of Intent to Sole Source for Advanced GaN foundry fabrication for D-band devices and circuits.
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), under the Department of Commerce, has issued a Combined Sources Sought Notice/Notice of Intent to Sole Source for Advanced GaN foundry fabrication for D-band devices and circuits. This market research aims to identify sources capable of providing a dedicated wafer fabrication run for metrology, instrumentation development, and transistor model development within the CHIPS program. NIST intends to issue a Sole Source Award to Raytheon Korean Support Company if no alternate sources are identified. Responses are due by February 24, 2026.
Scope of Work
NIST requires an advanced D-band [110-170] GHz GaN HEMT process with demonstrated output power density > 2.3 W/mm and high yield. Key requirements include:
- Advanced D-band GaN HEMT MMIC fabrication run: Must include a dedicated mask set, fabrication with thinned wafer backside vias and backside metallization (at least 2 wafers), and capabilities for airbridge, Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors, and thin-film resistors. Transistor width must be scalable.
- D-band MMIC Process Design Kit (PDK): Must feature scalable small-signal and large-signal transistor models, compatibility with ADS momentum, layout definition files, passive electric properties, physical dimensions, and Design Rule Check (DRC).
- Post-fabrication deliverables: On-wafer DC screening of all devices, wafer dicing, and shipment.
Contract & Timeline
- Type: Sources Sought / Notice of Intent to Sole Source
- Set-Aside: None specified (respondents asked to indicate business size)
- Response Due: February 24, 2026, 4:00 PM ET
- Published: February 10, 2026
- Place of Performance: Gaithersburg, MD, United States
Submission & Evaluation
Responses must be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact in Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format. Entities must be registered and "active" in SAM.gov to be considered for a potential award. Respondents are asked to identify if NAICS code 334413 is appropriate or suggest an alternative.
Additional Notes
This is a market research notice and not a solicitation or commitment to award a contract. No proprietary information should be provided. Responses shall not exceed 4 pages, including all attachments.