Request for Information: American-Made Microsystems

Background
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) is seeking information on domestically manufactured products and processes applicable to microsystems that have not yet been utilized. The agency aims to identify an untapped microsystem lifecycle for American-made products within its industrial base. This initiative comes in response to a significant shift in semiconductor manufacturing capacity to overseas markets, despite the U.S. maintaining advanced manufacturing capabilities in other areas such as precision engineering and automation.

The goal is to maximize the strategic value of current U.S. strengths by identifying underutilized resources that could support national microsystems objectives and prevent technological strategic surprise.

Work Details
The RFI aims to gather information on various aspects of microsystems manufacturing and repair, including:
- Assessing existing U.S. manufacturing capabilities that could be redirected to support microsystems production and repair.
- Exploring nontraditional pathways for enabling microscale manufacturing through repurposing or adaptation of existing technologies.
- Identifying infrastructure, expertise, or equipment at risk of being lost or currently underutilized.
- Strengthening national resilience by uncovering overlooked resources that could reduce reliance on external supply chains.

Responses should address at least one of the following areas:
1. Products: Identify U.S.-made products suitable for integration into microsystems manufacturing or repair, emphasizing unconventional products with relevant properties.
2. Processes: Describe high-precision manufacturing methods capable of achieving production tolerances of 2 microns or better at a minimum scale of 10,000 units per year, including quality assurance workflows.
3. Facilities: Provide information on operational or recently decommissioned facilities capable of supporting microscale manufacturing, highlighting readiness factors like production capacity and cleanliness.
4. Equipment and Tooling: Identify tools or systems that could be retrofitted for microsystems manufacturing, emphasizing adaptability and scalability.

Period of Performance
Responses are due by August 29, 2025, at 05:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), indicating a timeline for the assessment phase but not specifying a contract performance period.

Place of Performance
The geographic location(s) for performance are not explicitly stated but are implied to be within the United States as it focuses on domestically manufactured products.