Inactive Local Area Set-Aside (FAR 26.2)

NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing services that meets or exceeds the following draft minimum specifications: BACKGROUND INFORMATION As part of the CHIPS Act, NI... NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing services that meets or exceeds the following draft minimum specifications: BACKGROUND INFORMATION As part of the CHIPS Act, NIST has an active aimed at improving the quantitative aspects of strain measurement in state-of-the-art semiconductor devices using a variety of methods. One of these methods is carried out using a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) equipped with a high-speed camera which captures a full electron diffraction pattern at each point in the image scan. This technique is known as 4D-STEM and can currently be performed on an MML-owned STEM system in Gaithersburg. To advance these techniques, we now need access to a similar microscope that is also equipped with a precession scan system which tilts and precesses the incident beam azimuthally during the collection of the 4D-STEM dataset. Purpose/Objective: To enable use of an aberration-corrected, precession-capable 4D-STEM system at a local microscope facility. SCOPE OF WORK The vendor will provide access to an aberration-corrected 4D-STEM system with electron precession to NIST researcher Andrew Herzing and an as-yet-to-be-hired postdoctoral research associate. The facility must be within 60 miles of NIST’s Gaithersburg site. The vendor should periodically invoice NIST for payment based on the number of hours of microscope use. The total cost of the contract shall not exceed $50,000. TASKS CLIN 0001: Base Period of performance Access to 4D-STEM lab Task requirement 1: The facility shall include an aberration-corrected 4D-STEM system with precession capabilities. NIST expects to require use of the microscope based on the following schedule: 2-4 days per month for 8 hours per day Actual needs may vary based on project requirements and sample availability Prior to accessing the microscope, NIST employees shall have completed all training required by the contractor. Training certification shall be sent to the Contractor upon request and at the start of any additional employees requesting access to the microscope. Once access has been granted, NIST personnel will utilize the microscope to collect precession 4D-STEM data from semiconductor samples. Data generated during a microscope session will be available for NIST staff to transfer to their home institution by, for example, the use of external USB hard drives. The facility shall be located within 60 miles of NIST Gaithersburg. This number of hours utilized shall not exceed a cost of $50,000.00. Period of performance: contract award date – end of calendar year 2024 OPTION CLIN 0002: Option 1 of performance Access to 4D-STEM lab Description: Additional time to Access to 4D-STEM lab Option Execution: Within 1 year of contract award. Task requirement 1: The Contractor shall provide access to the 4D-STEM system that meets all the requirements in CLIN 0001 for a period of performance of one year after option execution. The purpose of this option is to allow additional time on the instrument during the initial period of performance if needed and to allow an extension of the period of performance beyond the base. OPTION CLIN 0003: Option 2 of performance Access to 4D-STEM lab Description: Additional time on Access to 4D-STEM lab Option Execution: Within 2 years of contract award. Task requirement 1: The Contractor shall provide access to the 4D-STEM system that meets all the requirements in CLIN 0001 for a period of performance of one year after option execution. The purpose of this option is to allow additional time on the instrument during the initial period of performance if needed and to allow an extension of the period of performance beyond option OPTION CLIN 0004: Option 3 of performance Access to 4D-STEM lab Description: Additional time on Access to 4D-STEM lab Option Execution: Within 3 years of contract award. Task requirement 1: The Contractor shall provide access to the 4D-STEM system that meets all the requirements in CLIN 0001 for a period of performance of one year after option execution. The purpose of this option is to allow additional time on the instrument during the initial period of performance if needed and to allow an extension of the period of performance beyond option 2. OPTION CLIN 0005: Option 4 of performance Access to 4D-STEM lab Description: Additional time on Access to 4D-STEM lab Option Execution: Within 4 years of contract award. Task requirement 1: The Contractor shall provide access to the 4D-STEM system that meets all the requirements in CLIN 0001 for a period of performance of one year after option execution. The purpose of this option is to allow additional time on the instrument during the initial period of performance if needed and to allow an extension of the period of performance beyond option 3. HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORRMATION. 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 specialist listed at the bottom of this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice. 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 any aspects of the description of the requirements in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or create unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your firm’s ability to fully participate in a procurement for such services and explain why. Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses. For NAICS code: 541380 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. If your firm has existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts for services against which the Department may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information. Describe your firm’s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the services described in Background section. Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for the Government to know as part of its market research for this requirement. Please let us know if you would like to engage to get a better understanding of the requirement or need additional information about the Government’s requirement for the services described in the Background section. QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE QuestIons regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received by 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on February 23, 2024.Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline. IMPORTANT NOTES The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that the NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirement in the near future. This notice should not be construed as a commitment by the NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. The NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate. Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request!