Ion mill for transmission electron microscope specimens

2026-11-03

Notice ID Number : NIST - SS26 - 109Title : Ion mill for transmission electron microscope specimensThe purpose of this sources sought notice is to conduct market research and identify potential sources of commercial products / services that satisfy the Government ’ s anticipated needs . BACKGROUNDTo support the CHIPS for America Act , the NIST Precision Imaging Facility ( PIF ) requires an ion milling system to provide final thinning to transmission electron microscope specimens . The coating system is intended to support the scanning electron microscope , focused ion beam , and transmission electron microscope instruments ( among others ) in the PIF . NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that will achieve the objectives described above , in addition to the following essential requirements : TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS : Line Item 0001 : Sputter coater for scanning electron microscopyQuantity : One ( 1 ) Technical Specifications : FunctionThe system shall be capable of milling / polishing specimens for transmission electron microscopy using one or more ion beams . Chamber / StageThe system shall be able to hold standard 3 mm diameter transmission electron microscope grids and / or half grids which are typically used during focused ion beam preparation . The stage shall rotate 360 ° Offerors shall comment on the ability of the stage to be cooled using liquid nitrogenIon Source ( s ) The system shall have two or more independently adjustable ion sources . The energy of the ion sources shall be adjustable . Offerors shall comment on the ion source energy range . The angle of the ion sources shall be adjustable relative to the specimen . Offerors shall comment on whether ion source angles are motorized . Imaging and illuminationThe system shall include a microscope to image the specimen during ion milling . Illumination of the specimen for microscope imaging shall be built into the system . Process Gasses : The system shall be able to accommodate at least one process gas to support the ion sources ( e . g . argon ). Vacuum System : The system shall include or be compatible with a turbo pump and / or turbo pumping station . The system shall include all vacuum pumps required to operate the system . Any vacuum pumps or vacuum system components shall be oil free . All functions of any vacuum system ( start , stop , pump , vent , etc .) shall be fully controllable from the user interface . HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICEIn responding to this notice , please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION . Please include only the following information , readable in either Microsoft Word 365 , Microsoft Excel 365 , or . pdf format , in the response : Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and , if specified , to the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice as soon as possible , and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice . Please note that to be considered for award under any official solicitation , the entity must be registered and “ active ” in SAM at the time of solicitation response . Provide the complete name of your company , address , name of contact for follow - up questions , their email , their phone number and , if your company has an active registration in https :// sam . gov , your company ’ s Unique Entity ID ( UEI ). Identify the equipment that your company sells that can meet the objectives addressed in the BACKGROUND section of this notice . For each product recommended to meet the Government ’ s requirement , provide the following : Manufacturer nameModel numberTechnical specificationsIf your company is not the manufacturer , provide information on your company ’ s status as an authorized reseller of the product ( s ) Describe performance capabilities of the product ( s ) your company recommends to meet the Government ’ s requirements . Additionally , if there are other features or functions that you believe would assist NIST in meeting its objectives described above , please discuss in your response . Discuss whether the equipment that your company sells and which you describe in your response to this notice may be customized to specifications and indicate any limits to customization . Identify any aspects of the NIST market research notice , including instructions , and draft minimum specifications in the BACKGROUND section you cannot meet and state why . Please offer suggestions for how the market research notice and draft minimum specifications could be made more competitive . State whether the proposed equipment is manufactured in the United States and , if not , state the name of the country where the equipment is manufactured . Identify any plans / possibilities for changes in manufacturing location of the aforementioned equipment and provide relevant details , including timeline . For the NAICS code listed in this notice : Indicate whether your company is ( a ) a small business or ( b ) other than small business . See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated . pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information . If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice , identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement . Describe services that are available with the purchase of the aforementioned equipment from your company such as installation , training , and equipment maintenance . Describe standard terms and conditions of sale offered by your company for the recommended equipment such as : delivery time after your company accepts the order ; FOB shipping terms ; manufacturer warranty ( including details regarding nature and duration ); if available , description ( s ) of available extended warranty ; equipment setup and test ; operator and service instruction manual ( s ); cleanup after installation ; and if applicable , other offered services . Provide a copy of manufacturer standard terms and conditions that typically relate to the sale of the specified equipment , if available . State whether your company offers facility renovation services related to installation of the recommended equipment at its delivery destination , if required per the NIST - identified minimum specifications , and provide description of said services . Indicate if your company performs the facility renovation services or typically subcontracts the work to another company . Indicate if your company would be interested in inspecting the intended installation site during the market research phase . State published price , discount , or rebate arrangements for recommended equipment and / or provide link to access company ’ s published prices for equipment and services . If the recommended equipment and related services are available for purchase on any existing Federal Supply Schedule contract ( s ) or other contracts against which NIST may be able to place orders , identify the contract number ( s ) and other relevant information . Identify any customers in the public or private sectors to which you provided the recommended or similar equipment . Include customer ( s ) information : company name , phone number , point of contact , email address . Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for NIST to know as part of its market research for this requirement . State if you require NIST to provide additional information to improve your understanding of the government ’ s requirement and / or would like to meet with NIST representatives to discuss the requirement and the capabilities of the identified equipment . QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICEQuestions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact listed in this notice . Questions should be submitted so that they are received 5 days prior to the response date . If the Contracting Officer determines that providing a written amendment to this notice to document question ( s ) received would benefit other potential respondents , the questions would be anonymized , and a written response to such question ( s ) would be provided via an amendment to this notice . IMPORTANT NOTESThis notice is for market research purposes and should not be construed as a commitment by NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract . There is no solicitation available at this time . This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response . NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate . Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization ’ s capability . Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted . After a review of the responses received , a synopsis and solicitation may be published on GSA ’ s eBuy or SAM . gov . However , responses to this notice will not be considered an adequate response to any such solicitation ( s ). The responses shall not exceed 20 pages including all attachments , charts , etc . Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request .

Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System

2026-05-06