Request for Information regarding

New Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and IT Services

For

NRC’s Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre

1.About CPFC

The Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC) provides a "one stop shop" for world-class engineering, manufacturing services, commercial grade prototyping and pilot-run production facilities. We can fabricate devices in a variety of materials including gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium phosphide (InP), gallium nitride (GaN), silicon-on-insulator (SOI), and other substrates. We offer single-step foundry services or end-to-end fabrication of photonic devices, photonic integrated circuits and gallium nitride electronics. The CPFC can also develop new process technologies for customers' devices.

Starting with CPFC - or customer supplied wafers, our experienced design team examines the customer's requirements and advises on a suitable wafer structure and fabrication process to achieve the device performance necessary for your application. We can use either customer-supplied photomasks or develop a new set of masks for an entire process sequence.

2.Project Description

As a small-medium size semiconductor manufacturing industry, CPFC has two fabrication centers, Fab 1 and Fab 2, which are supported by facility hubs. At this time, the manufacturing process is being handled by our custom designed MES, FabFlow. This process involves documenting series of production steps (400 steps or more) with various technical information included in each step. Act as a critical tool for engineers, currently 30 workstations are hooked up to FabFlow.

The main objective of this project is to replace our MES technology, FabFlow, with a new technology. For a list of features/requirements please look at Appendix A.

3.Purpose of this RFI

The purpose of this RFI is to provide industry with an early opportunity to comment on CPFC’s new MES, requirements for hardware and services. It also will be used to identify potential vendors and software solutions and functionality.

The information and feedback from these vendors may be used to develop a Statement of Work should the NRC and CPFC decide to proceed with a Request for Proposal. The CPFC may also invite some vendors to make oral presentations and demonstrations about their proposed solutions and capabilities based on the review of the RFI responses.

This is a request for information only. NRC may, at its sole discretion, elect not to accept any submission for any reason. NRC is not obligated to proceed and may cancel this RFI at any time.

4.Nature of RFI

This is not a bid solicitation. This RFI will not result in the award of any contract. As a result, potential suppliers of any goods or services described in this RFI should not reserve stock or facilities, nor allocate resources, as a result of any information contained in this RFI. Nor will this RFI result in the creation of any source list. Therefore, whether or not any potential supplier responds to this RFI will not preclude that supplier from participating in any future procurement. Also, the procurement of any of the goods and services described in this RFI will not necessarily follow this RFI. This RFI is simply intended to solicit feedback from industry with respect to the matters described in this RFI.

5.Response Costs

NRC will not reimburse any respondent for expenses incurred in responding to this RFI.

6.Treatment of Responses

1. Use of Responses: Responses will not be formally evaluated. However, the responses received may be used by NRC to develop or modify procurement strategies. CPFC will review all responses received by the RFI closing date. CPFC may, in its discretion, review responses received after the RFI closing date.
2. Review Team: A review team composed of representatives of CPFC will review the responses. NRC reserves the right to hire any independent consultant, or use any Government resources that it considers necessary to review any response. Not all members of the review team will necessarily review all responses.
3. Confidentiality: Respondents should mark any portions of their response that they consider proprietary or confidential. NRC will handle the responses in accordance with the Access to Information Act.
4. Follow-up Activity: NRC may, at its discretion, meet with respondents who indicate in their responses that they wish to participate in a follow-up meeting. Such follow-up activity, if conducted, may include, but is not limited to, individual meetings and/or conferences. NRC may, in its discretion, contact one or more respondents to follow up with additional questions or for clarification of any aspect of a response.

7.Submission of Responses

1. Time and Place for Submission of Responses: Respondents should send responses electronically via e-mail to the Authority's address identified at section 11 by the date specified on section 10, Timetable, of the RFI.
2. Responsibility for Timely Delivery: Each respondent is solely responsible for ensuring its response is delivered on time to the correct email address.

8.Confidentiality of Respondent Information

Although NRC is seeking comprehensive and detailed responses from respondents to this RFI, it is understood that respondents may not be willing or able to address all of the information sought by NRC. To encourage respondents to be as forthcoming as possible, it is understood and agreed that NRC shall, during and after the period of the RFI, treat as confidential and not divulge, unless authorized in writing by the respondent, any information respondents identify as CONFIDENTIAL or PROPRIETARY. NRC will in no way make any disclosure of any information that respondents have identified as CONFIDENTIAL or PROPRIETARY. NRC will also not impose any future obligations or commitments on respondents for claims or cost information contained within their responses.

9.Reserved Rights

In addition to any other expressed or implied rights, NRC reserves the right to:

• cancel this RFI process at any time and issue a new RFI for the same or similar information
• change the structure and timing of the RFI process;
• vary or extend any date or time in this RFI at any time, and for such a period as NRC at its absolute discretion considers appropriate;
• make changes, including substantial changes, to this RFI provided they are issued in an addendum to this RFI;
• request written clarification or the submission of supplementary information from any or all respondents, or provide additional information or clarification;
• contact any customer or reference provided within a respondent’s submission, as part of the assessment process; and
• not consider any response that contains information that NRC (in its exclusive opinion) believes to contain misrepresentations or any other inaccurate, suspicious, or misleading information.

10.Timetable

The overall timetable for the RFI process is as follows:

Activity

Date

RFI released date

Deadline for receipt of written questions

RFI closing date

11.Enquiries

Because this is not a bid solicitation, NRC will not necessarily respond to enquiries in writing or by circulating answers to all potential suppliers. However, respondents with questions regarding this RFI may direct their enquiries in writing only to:

Procurement Officer’s name: Johnathon Gillis

E-mail Address: Johnathon.Gillis@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

Appendix A

To gain the greatest value from responses to this RFI and to facilitate a consistent and structured assessment of the information provided to the CPFC, please read and respond to the requested information in the following sections.

1.Scope

This section outlines the requirements for the proposed technology that best fit to CPFC needs in order to enhance its ability to manage the operations with focus on;

• Product Development Execution System (PDES)
• Manufacturing Execution System (MES)

2.Background

The new software system is a key element to guarantee integration of all CPFC functions from engineering development and process control to planning, scheduling, dispatch and traceability. It is expected that the software help to manage the dynamics and complexity in Development Activities as it runs in parallel with a more mature production with lead time commitment.

3.Respondent Information and Response to the RFI

It’s customary for every respondent to provide the following information as applies.

1. Respondent Profile:

• Indicate the number the number of years in business as a business entity (worldwide / in Canada),
• Indicate your office location(s) in the National Capital Region / in Canada / worldwide,
• Industry specific “know-how” (particularly semiconductor fabrication),
• Describe your organization’s previous and current experience as a provider of MES and/or PDES technology either domestically in Canada or internationally, and
• Project references, preferably in semiconductor industry, worldwide / in Canada.

1. Product General Profile:

• Indicate the typical life cycle (under varying scenarios, if necessary) associated with your product, with respect to the following categories:

• Software licences,
• Required third-party software,
• Hardware requirement,
• Implementation and consulting,
• Training,
• Product maintenance, and
• Product upgrade.

• Ongoing technical support
• Estimated implementation and rollout timeframe
• Typical project phases, tasks, deliverables and estimated timelines
• Available supporting platforms
• Available security features and certificates

1. Product Presentation
   • Onsite demonstration of previous projects, and
   • Pre-trial installation option (if available)

4.Software generic content

Describe the proposed solution capabilities with respect to the following categories. Also, please indicate other features of the technology, originally built in the software:

1. GUI and General Functionalities:
   • Databases creation,
   • Edit,
   • Search:

• Means to search on all fields, imported documents and user activity logs
• Wild card searches
• Sort search results
• Save search results
• Search of historical and current data
  • Charting
  • Usability:
• Import
• Export to Comma Separated Values (CSV), Text (TXT) and, PDF/A formats

1. Product Development

• Process Flow
• Process Steps
• Layer
• Parameter
• Device
• Process Result
• Analysis Result
• Test Result
• Other databases that maybe required

1. Process Analysis
   • Statistical index and calculation
   • Measurement data
   • Control limits
   • Defect /Yield tracking
   • Quarantine and disposition
   • Calculation models to change parameters
   • Other process analysis tool built in the software
2. Tool Management
   • Real time log for unplanned tool issues.
   • MTBA (Mean Time Before Assist) time log
   • Preventive Maintenance schedule
   • Critical spare parts management
   • New Tools log and management
   • Adoptability of maintenance schedule vs. changes in production plan
3. Planning and Scheduling

• Resource allocation
• Development process adjustment
• Cycle time (Theoretical vs. Actual)
• Flow sheets
• Flag Status
• Start Date
• Lead-time Pre-determination and simulation
• Process bottlenecks
• Manpower
• Tool utilization and OEE

1. Traceability, “Work In Process, WIP”

• Step by Step batch movement input (e.g. barcode or manual).
• Flag /alarm function for any process or quality incident
• Process steps verification
• Real time tracking of WIP queue, on-hold, reserve and completed
• Offline expediting of WIP move
• Prioritizing WIP (hot batch, normal batch, engineering batch, etc.)
• Log in /Log out at Batch start-end
• Rework and scrap

1. Documentation and Process change management

• Process changes of new or existing document
• Operator certification and training record

1. Dashboard Visualization / Reporting of Performance Index

• OTD (On Time Delivery)
• OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)
• Quality Index
• Yield

1. Dispatch

• Dispatch rules
• Order input (Barcoded scan an option)
• Dispatch label
• Substrate and Bill of materials

1. Recipe Management

• Revision update and control
• Write script /load /Update

1. Cost of Production

• Total process time
• Material input

• User Privilege

• System permission per individual user access.

5.Software other features

• Multiple users (license agreement, >50 users).
• Crius MOCVD room (outside Fab)
• Critical facilities area (e.g. DI water system, etc.)
• Main CPFC and expanded engineering offices

• Compatibility, Import/Export File Formats (graphics, spreadsheet, html, drawing, spreadsheet, etc.)
• Interoperability with other System (SAP; Oracle, Microsoft versions, etc.)
• SQL Import client to collect /merge /filter data from existing Fab Flow system.

• Drag and Drop function to ease search, edit, import /export, etc.
• Data Security, archive and management.

Please highlight other significant available features.