Picosecond ultrasonics film thickness measurement tool

Cassette-to-cassette measurement system using picosecond ultrasonics for materials characterization in semiconductor processes, enabling metal thickness metrology, implant monitoring, and thermal conductivity characterization.

According to the 40 § section 2(2) of the Act on Public Contracts (1397/2016), only a certain supplier can implement the procurement for a technical reason, or for a reason related to protecting an exclusive right; it shall be a further condition that there are no reasonable alternatives or substitute solutions, and that the absence of competition is not due to an artificial narrowing of the terms and conditions of the procurement. During the market dialogue phase, the contracting authority assessed the market to identify suppliers capable of delivering a tool that meets the defined technical requirements. Based on this assessment, Onto was identified as the only supplier capable of delivering a technically suitable solution for the intended purpose. In order to verify whether reasonable alternative or substitute solutions existed and to ensure that the lack of competition was not the result of an artificial narrowing of the procurement requirements, a public information request was issued to the market. The request was published openly and provided all potential suppliers with the opportunity to present solutions meeting the stated requirements. Only Onto responded, and no other suppliers demonstrated the capability to deliver a solution fulfilling the technical requirements of the procurement. Consequently, no reasonable alternative or substitute solutions were identified. The contracting authority concludes that the procurement can be carried out only by a single supplier for technical reasons, and that the conditions for a direct award pursuant to Section 40, subsection 2, point 2 of the Finnish Procurement Act are fulfilled