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BACKGROUND The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) CHIPS metrology program has a requirement for a customized fluid immersion atomic force microscope (AFM) to develop advanced in-sit... BACKGROUND The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) CHIPS metrology program has a requirement for a customized fluid immersion atomic force microscope (AFM) to develop advanced in-situ measurement methods of physical-chemical processes at the solid-liquid interfaces with relevance to semiconductor manufacturing. The measurement goal is to measure rapid changes in surface topography in response to the introduction of a liquid chemical reagent. In addition to using conventional cantilever probes, the AFM will be adapted to use custom chip-scale optomechanical probes developed at NIST to achieve high bandwidth, combined with high deflection sensitivity and low perturbation during fluid exchange. A system upgradeable to video-rate imaging is required. In addition to conventional fast imaging in the fluid, the instrument must enable integration (via the AFM controller hardware and software and the probe holder modification) of NIST made optomechanical AFM probes characterized by a first contact mechanical resonance in the 10 MHz to 30 MHz range (https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=920671). Using NIST optomechanical probes, the setup shall enable imaging of the sample topography in contact mode. Imaging in fast force curve mode will also be explored. The CHIPS Metrology Program at NIST advances metrology for accelerating R&D and for developing breakthroughs that support the development of the next-generation microelectronics and ensure the competitiveness and leadership of the United States. The Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division develops micro-/nano-fabrication technologies, devices and novel measurement methods enabled by integrated microsystems. NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that meets or exceeds the following draft minimum specifications: Line scan rate between ~1 Hz and ~ 40 Hz with high scan linearity and reproducibility, while operating in contact and tapping modes. Scan range of at least 30 um and z range of at least 5 um. XY position sensors enabling close-loop scanning. AFM must scan the sample while rigidly holding the probe. NIST custom probe is optical fiber pigtailed and rigid holding of the probe ensures that no mechanical noise is transferred through the fibers. In tip scanning, fiber pigtails may detrimentally and unpredictably affect the scan. The system should be capable of “blind” probe approach without using top-down imaging to localize the probe tip in z. The vertical configuration of the NIST probe chip prevents accurate automatic probe height determination and makes manual focusing on probe tip difficult or impossible. Instead the system shall allow optical observation (unaided or camera) at the grazing angle to pre-position the probe <1mm above the sample, following by an automated routine to approach the sample to the probe until contact is detected via the probe. Top down optical imaging of the sample shall be provided. Imaging system shall have a sample to objective working distance of at least 7 mm and preferably >10 mm to accommodate the NIST probes. Imaging system shall have a numerical aperture of at least 0.45 and imaging resolution of below 1um. For conventional cantilever probes, the system shall provide a beam deflection measurement with a small spot of no larger than ~3um to accommodate small fast cantilevers. Acoustic enclosure and mechanical isolation support shall be provided. Acoustic isolation from ambient noise shall be at least 20 dB. Mechanical vibration table or support shall not exceed the footpring of approximately 60 cm x 60 cm. The system shall be highly mechanically stable, with z noise and drift of less than 20 pm in 1 s, measured by the calibrated probe deflection while the close-loop control is turned off. Please provide technical data confirming meeting this specification. The system shall be able to accept an external analog electrical deflection signal derived from the NIST probe in place of conventional probe deflection signal. The signal full range is at least 0 V to +2 V and preferably 0V to +5 V. The system shall be able to digitize the external deflection signal with the analog bandwidth of at least 15 MHz, digital sampling rate of at least 30 Ms/s and noise power spectral density of at most 100 nV/rt-Hz. Larger bandwidth up to 125 MHz analog bandwidth are preferred. Commercial fluid cells enabling rapid fluid exchange from ports located within 1 mm of the probe shall be included. The system shall allow NIST to engineer and use custom probe holders in conjunction with the open fluid cell. The fluid cell shall protect the scanned and other components from accidental spillage of small amounts of fluid from the sample stage using a washable hermetic barrier. The system shall accept a sample size of up to 10 mm x 10 mm and up to 5 mm thick for the above-listed scanning rates. The system shall be upgradeable to provide active sample temperature control. The system shall be upgradeable to provide active temperature control within the enclosure, including the temperature control of the probe and mechanical elements for stable operation. The system shall be upgradeable to include optical photothermal excitation of conventional cantilever probes with frequency up to 7 MHz and spot size no larger than 5 um. The system shall be upgradeable to video-rate scanning with line scan rates of at least 1200 Hz in contact and tapping modes. The video data capture shall be continuous and stored in a single file without information loss. The scan size at the highest scan rate shall be at least 0.5 um. TRADE-IN: To reduce the cost to NIST, NIST will provide for trade-in an Asylum Cypher S AFM which is approximately 10 years old and in good working condition. Responses shall indicate if the trade-in will be accepted and provide a rough order of magnitude estimate of the resulting cost reduction. 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 laboratory equipment that your company sells that is of the nature addressed in the BACKGROUND section of this notice. Include brand name, make, model, and/or other distinguishing information. State if your company is the manufacturer of the identified equipment or is a retailer or wholesaler that normally sells the identified equipment. If the latter, indicate whether the manufacturer authorized in writing for your company to sell the identified equipment on behalf of the manufacturer. Describe performance capabilities and relevant or beneficial physical and functional features for any equipment you identified to satisfy the NIST-identified minimum specifications described in this notice. Identify any aspects of the NIST market research notice, including instructions, and draft minimum specifications in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or contain unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your ability to fully participate and indicate why. In such a scenario, please offer suggestions for how the market research notice and draft minimum specifications could be made more inclusive and competitive. 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. 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 aforementioned 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 aforementioned equipment at its delivery destination, if required per the NIST-identified minimum specifications, and provide description of 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 inspecting the intended installation site during the market research phase. State published price, discount or rebate arrangements for aforementioned equipment and/or provide link to access company’s published prices for equipment and services. State whether the aforementioned 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. If the aforementioned 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 place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information. Identify any customers in the public or private sectors in which you provided the aforementioned 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 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 March 7, 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 NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future. This notice should not be construed as a commitment by 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. NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. 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!