Silicon Nitride for sensor packaging for high temperature applications
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 Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/NSSC intends to award a sole source contract to SIENNA TECHNOLOGIES, INC. for Silicon Nitride for sensor packaging for high temperature applications at NASA/Glenn Research Center (GRC). This Special Notice is a market research effort to determine if a competitive procurement is feasible. Interested organizations must submit written capabilities and qualifications by February 25, 2026, 4:00 p.m. CST.
Purpose & Context
NASA/NSSC has a requirement for Silicon Nitride for sensor packaging in high-temperature environments, specifically for NASA SiC sensors. The agency has identified SIENNA TECHNOLOGIES, INC. as the sole provider and intends to issue a sole source contract under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i). This notice serves to solicit capabilities from other interested organizations to ascertain if the requirement can be met on a competitive basis.
Scope of Work
The effort involves brazing silicon nitride (Si3N4) to compatible metals for high-temperature applications. Key tasks include:
- Investigating the suitability of Si3N4 for packaging SiC sensors at 1000°C.
- Providing Si3N4 substrates to NASA-GRC for characterization and elemental analysis.
- Investigating the brazeability of Si3N4 dummy headers to Inconel 718, ensuring braze joints are impervious to oxidation at 1000°C for at least one hour.
- Packaging five (5) SiC pressure sensors using an Aluminum Nitride (AlN) header and Kovar tube, designed to withstand pressure up to 500 psi and temperature up to 900°C for a minimum of one hour.
- Specific braze alloys (BAu-3, NiCuSil-3) and a preferred packaging architecture based on the MEMS Direct Chip Attach concept are required.
Performance Standards
Brazed joints must be pressure tested using He-water immersion, cross-sectioned and examined for defects, and achieve leak rates lower than 6x10^-7. Leakage current between pins and the AlN header substrate must not exceed 0.1 µA (10 Vdc) at 900°C. Each packaged sensor will be tested at room temperature before shipment.
Contract Details
- Type: Intended Sole Source (Special Notice)
- NAICS Code: 541715 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology))
- Product Service Code: 9390 (Miscellaneous Fabricated Nonmetallic Materials)
- Authority: FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i)
- Acquisition Method: Commercial items and services using FAR Part 12 and FAR Part 13.
- Place of Performance: NASA/Glenn Research Center (GRC)
Submission & Evaluation
- Response Due: February 25, 2026, by 4:00 p.m. Central Standard Time.
- Submission: Interested organizations must submit written capabilities and qualifications to the identified point of contact. Oral communications are not acceptable.
- Evaluation: Submissions will be evaluated solely to determine if the procurement can be conducted on a competitive basis. The Government retains discretion to proceed with a sole source award regardless of responses.
Point of Contact
Laura Quave, Procurement Specialist, laura.a.quave@nasa.gov, 228-813-6420.