Revised SOW 7-19-23.pdf

Statement of Work (SOW) 1

STATEMENT OF WORK/REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT

Title: Procurement of a Suite of Analytical Transmission Electron Microscope Instruments Requesting Lab: Precision Imaging Facility within the Boulder Microfabrication Facility

(PML)

I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In support of the CHIPS Act, the National Institute of Standards and Technology is acquiring nano fabrication and nano characterization equipment that will address the major metrology research and development grand challenges for the reliable production of next-generation microelectronic devices.

The Precision Imaging Facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is involved in the characterization of metals, semiconductors, and insulators in support of multiple projects. Materials characterization allows NIST scientists to make direct correlations between material processing, (nano)structure, and resulting properties. This work involves the analysis of structure and chemistry at atomic or near-atomic length scales in the transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM).

A TEM or STEM instrument: (1) accepts thin samples (typically thinner than 100 nanometers) for analysis, (2) generates a high-energy electron beam which is transmitted through the thin specimen,

(3) detects the transmitted electrons (and other associated signals) to produce an image of the specimen, and (4) contains a high-precision specimen stage to allow for specimen movement during an imaging experiment.

This list of functions is not exhaustive and contract proposers should carefully review the “Minimum Requirements” section in this document. In this work, NIST is seeking a suite of two instruments:

1. A high-resolution analytical scanning transmission electron microscope

2. A high-throughput analytical transmission electron microscope

NIST specifically requires a suite of two instruments from the same manufacturer. The specific NIST compatibility requirements related to this suite of instruments is threefold:

A. The software and hardware user interface between the two instruments should be identical (or substantially identical) to reduce the time required to familiarize and train NIST staff on each instrument. Additionally, the identical user interface will simplify any alignments, service, or maintenance that NIST staff are required to perform.

B. The instrument hardware must be identical (or substantially identical) such that accessories, including sample holders can be moved between the instruments. These accessories can represent a substantial cost to NIST and maintaining multiple sets of accessories may be prohibitively expensive. This is especially important when moving samples between instruments to perform correlative measurements on materials, structures, or devices.

C. Instrument automation software between the two systems must be fully compatible such that data collected on one instrument can be analyzed on another instrument in the suite.

For example, a large-area image taken on the high-throughput TEM system (CLIN 0002)

Statement of Work (SOW) 2 shall be able to be loaded into the high-resolution STEM system (CLIN 0001) to investigate an area of interest on the same specimen.

Consistent with NIST’s mission to develop measurement science, a particular research focus of the instrument will be to evaluate the sources of systematic and statistical error that limit the efficacy of TEM/STEM techniques, to devise strategies to mitigate these uncertainties, and to develop metrics that quantify the results.

II. SCOPE

The Contractor shall deliver and install two instruments with features as defined in the “Minimum Requirements” section inclusive of FOB Destination. Control and support computers shall also be included, as well as all software as defined in the “Minimum Requirements” section. In-person training shall be provided for up to five (5) NIST personnel on each instrument (the training groups may be different people for each instrument) and the system shall be covered under warranty for at least one (1) year to include all parts, software, labor, and travel.

III. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

General Requirements for all CLINS:

A. All CLINs shall consist of all new, commercially available items. Prototypes, one-off systems, demonstration models, used or refurbished instruments will not be considered for award.

Compatibility Between Systems Specified in CLIN 0001 and CLIN 0002:

A. Instrument Manufacturer

a. To meet NIST requirements described in the Background section the two systems shall originate from the same manufacturer

B. Compatible sample stages and/or goniometers:

a. The two systems provided by The Contractor shall have an identical stage and goniometer geometry such that any specimen holders that are compatible with one system can be used in the other.

C. Identical computer software, computer user interface, and physical user interface:

a. The two systems provided by The Contractor shall have an identical (or extremely similar) computer software and user interface

b. The two systems provided by The Contractor shall have identical physical user interfaces (commonly referred to as “hand control panels”)

D. Python-based scripting language:

a. The two systems provided by the Contractor shall share an identical Python-based scripting language. This may be accomplished via a native python application programming interface or through python wrappers for the native application programming interface. Python commands for identical functions (e.g. stage

Statement of Work (SOW) 3 movement, image acquisition) shall be identical between the two instruments defined in CLIN 0001 and CLIN 0002.

b. The Python-based scripting language shall allow for, but not be limited to, the following control of the instrument and the following subsystems:

i. Electron-optical system:

1. Changing imaging mode

2. Adjustment of beam tilt, shift, and rotation

3. Adjustment of magnification

4. Insertion, retraction, and movement of apertures

5. Adjusting focus, astigmatism, and coma

6. Activate all automatic functions, including automatic focus correct and automatic astigmatism correction

ii. Stage and goniometer:

1. Moving the stage to relative or absolute positions

2. Controlling all stage axes, including two directions of tilt (on compatible holders)

3. Querying the stage for position and status

iii. Vacuum system:

1. Querying the vacuum state

2. Opening/closing vacuum valves

iv. Image acquisition

1. Insert and retract compatible cameras and detectors

2. Image acquisition in both transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) mode on all compatible detectors

v. Data manipulation

1. Import, export, and save acquired or derived data

2. Import, export, and save metadata

vi. Instrument status

1. Query current vacuum status

2. Query current electron gun/source status

3. Query current stage position

vii. External server access

1. Allow a network connected computer or server to query the microscope state as described above

2. Allow a network connected computer or server to control the microscope as described above

System 1: High-resolution Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope

CLIN 0001: High Resolution Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope Instrument Description: Scanning transmission electron microscope instrument including all necessary hardware & software for full operation Quantity: one (1)

Technical Specifications:

Statement of Work (SOW) 4

The STEM instrument shall (1) accept thin samples (typically thinner than 100 nanometers) for analysis, (2) generate a high-energy electron beam which is transmitted through the thin specimen,

(3) detect the transmitted electrons (and other associated signals) to produce an image of the specimen, and (4) contain a high-precision specimen stage to allow for specimen movement during an imaging experiment.

The system shall include the following subsystems:

A. Vacuum System:

a. Vacuum Pumps

i. All vacuum pumps and/or vacuum pumping systems shall be oil free.

b. Vacuum System Operations

i. All routine operations of the vacuum system (venting/pumping/plasma cleaning) shall be integrated into the instrument control software with software/hardware interlocks that prevent users from accidentally venting any or all of the vacuum system. The full vacuum system shall have all necessary pumps, gauges, controls, and valves necessary for routine operation. Automatic isolation valves shall close in the event of a building power or facilities loss to maintain the integrity of the vacuum system.

ii. The vacuum system shall be capable of automatically recovering from an accidental venting event (e.g. a user inserting a specimen improperly).

c. Anti-contamination Device

i. A liquid nitrogen cold-trap type device shall be incorporated into the microscope to minimize specimen contamination

ii. The liquid nitrogen Dewar on the cold trap shall remain cold at liquid nitrogen temperatures for a minimum of 20 hours after filling. Preference will be given for times greater than 20 hours.

d. Specimen Contamination

i. The Contractor shall demonstrate that the microscope meets the

Contractor’s standard specimen contamination criteria.

B. Electron Source:

a. Source

i. The electron emitter shall be a cold field emission gun (CFEG)

ii. The electron source shall produce an electron beam with an energy spread of

0.4 electron volts or less measured at the full-with half-maximum at all voltages up to the maximum operating voltage.

iii. All “cold flash,” “hot flash,” and typical operations related to maintenance of the cold field emission source shall be integrated in the microscope software user interface

iv. All operations of the electron source, including startup/operation, voltage ramping, source conditioning, and setting of the extraction voltage shall be integrated into the microscope software user interface

b. Accelerating Voltage

i. The electron source and accelerator shall be able to produce a coherent electron beam at accelerating voltages between 40 kilovolts and 300 kilovolts.

Preference will be given for lower minimum accelerating voltage.

Statement of Work (SOW) 5

ii. The accelerating voltage shall be variable between the minimum voltage and 300 kilovolts

iii. The microscope (including all electron optical components) shall be aligned at the following accelerating voltages: 300 kilovolts, 200 kilovolts, 60 kilovolts, and the minimum accelerating voltage available

iv. Changing of the accelerating voltage shall be integrated into the software user interface, providing automatic control

c. Brightness

i. The brightness of the electron source shall be greater than 1 x 109 A/cm2sr at

300 kilovolts accelerating voltage.

C. Electron Optical System

a. Illumination System

i. The microscope shall be able to be operated in nanobeam (convergent probe) mode as well as microbeam (parallel probe) mode.

ii. The illumination system shall allow for control of the probe convergence angle

iii. The illumination system shall allow for precession of the electron probe where the beam is tilted off axis and rotated azimuthally resulting in hollow-cone illumination. The operator shall be able to define the beam tilt and rate of azimuthal rotation in the microscope control software.

b. Condenser apertures

i. Apertures shall be included for all condenser lenses as appropriate to ensure correct and effective operation of the microscope

ii. All condenser apertures shall be motorized and integrated with the microscope software user interface

iii. Apertures shall recall their previous position when inserted

iv. The contractor shall coordinate with the Government to determine final aperture size selection for all condenser aperture assemblies

c. Aberration Corrector

i. The instrument shall include an aberration corrector operable in STEM mode (“probe corrector”) that can fully correct all aberrations up to (and including) sixth-order astigmatism.

ii. The Contractor shall provide corrector alignments for all accelerating voltages specified in section B. b. iii.

d. Scan-tilt correction

i. The microscope shall include the capability to correct for scan-induced tilt of the illumination such that the image of the back focal plane does not shift during scanning.

ii. A method for precisely tuning this tilt correction shall be provided by the Contractor and integrated into the microscope control software interface.

e. Objective Lens/Projection System

i. Electronic astigmatism correction shall be provided for both the objective and projector lens systems.

ii. The contractor shall coordinate with the Government to determine the final objective aperture size configuration.

1. All objective apertures shall be motorized and integrated with the microscope software user interface

Statement of Work (SOW) 6

2. Apertures shall recall their previous position when inserted

iii. The image rotation between imaging and diffraction modes shall be corrected electronically

f. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) capabilities

i. The instrument shall be able to collect images using the pre-filter camera specified in section E. b. and the camera on the energy filter specified in section H.

ii. The magnification shall be variable between one thousand times (or lower) and two million times (or higher)

iii. The diffraction camera length shall be variable between 5 cm (or smaller) and 150 cm (or larger)

iv. The highest information limit of the TEM system shall be 120 pm or better

g. Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) Capabilities

i. The STEM scan system shall be able to collect of images between 64 x 64 pixels in size (or smaller) and 4096 x 4096 pixels in size (or larger)

ii. The minimum STEM imaging dwell time shall be 90 nanoseconds or lower

iii. The STEM scanning system shall allow for the collection of images of square or rectangular shape of arbitrary pixel size. This may be accomplished with third-party software.

iv. The guaranteed STEM resolution specifications (with the aberration corrector) shall be the values in the table below or better resolution.

Preference will be given to systems with better resolution.

v. The contractor shall define the maximum guaranteed resolution of their instrument at the lowest available accelerating voltage. Preference will be given to systems with higher resolution at lower accelerating voltages.

Accelerating Voltage Spatial Resolution Probe Current

300 kV 60 pm 100 pA

200 kV 70 pm 100 pA

60 kV 111 pm 100 pA

D. Specimen Stage and Goniometer:

a. Stage Type

i. The specimen stage and goniometer shall be a side-entry type stage to accept rod-type sample holders

ii. The specimen stage shall be fully computerized and integrated with the instrument control software

b. Stage Travel

i. The specimen stage motion shall be accomplished in full, or in part, by piezoelectric mechanical actuators

ii. The minimum stage movement shall be 20 picometers or smaller

iii. Stage translation shall be at least ± 1.0 millimeter from the center of the specimen in the X- and Y-direction and at least 0.2 mm in the Z-direction.

iv. Specimen tilt shall meet the following requirements:

1. A maximum α tilt of ±30 degrees with a low-background double tilt holder

Statement of Work (SOW) 7

2. A maximum β tilt of ±27 degrees with a low-background double tilt holder

3. Preference will be given to systems that offer higher tilt ranges with a low-background double tilt holder

c. Stage Position Recall and Repeatability

i. The stage position should be indicated with a precision of at least 0.1 micrometer and 0.1 degree

ii. The software user interface should allow for accurate (within 3.0 micrometer) storage and recall of stage positions

E. Cameras and Electron Detectors

a. Microscope alignment camera

i. A camera shall be provided for aligning the microscope for optimal imaging conditions

ii. The camera shall be able to image the intense direct electron beam without damage to the camera sensor

iii. The camera shall be able to retract fully such that it does not block any portion of the electron beam when not in use

b. Pre-filter Camera

i. A camera shall be provided above any spectrometer or imaging filter for standard TEM imaging and collection of diffraction patterns, including high-speed acquisition of diffraction patterns for four-dimensional STEM imaging.

1. The camera may be the same camera specified in Section E. a.

2. The camera shall be able to retract fully such that it does not block any portion of the electron beam when not in use

3. The camera frame rate shall be at a minimum:

a. 4096 x 4096 pixels, 25 frames per second

b. 2048 x 2048 pixels, 80 frames per second

c. 1024 x 1024 pixels, 160 frames per second

4. The camera shall have a dynamic range of greater than 16 bits (frame summing permitted)

5. The camera shall operate at all accelerating voltages specified in section B. b. iii.

6. The detector quantum efficiency shall be better than 9% (0.5 Nyquist frequency) at 300 kilovolts and 200 kilovolts accelerating voltage

ii. The microscope shall be fitted with a beam stop to block the intense direct electron beam as needed during imaging.

c. STEM Detector(s)

i. The instrument shall be equipped with one or more retractable detectors for imaging in scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) mode.

1. The detector(s) shall be able to retract fully such that it does not block any portion of the electron beam when not in use

ii. The STEM detector(s) shall function at all accelerating voltages specified in section B. b. iii.

iii. The STEM detector(s) shall offer imaging modes including but not limited to: high-angle annular dark field, dark field, bright field, annular bright field, and differential phase contrast

Statement of Work (SOW) 8

iv. The STEM detector(s) shall have at least 8 segments with integration into the microscope software user interface to choose and image with specific detector segments

v. The microscope shall include a software package or packages for the live collection and subsequent post-collection analysis of differential phase contrast images from multi-segment STEM detector datasets

d. Four-dimensional STEM detector (4D STEM)

i. The instrument shall be fitted with a retractable direct-electron style detector for the collection of four-dimensional STEM images

1. The detector shall be able to retract fully such that it does not block any portion of the electron beam when not in use

ii. The detector shall have a pixel array of at least 128 x 128 pixels

1. The detector shall have a detector quantum efficiency of greater than 90% at all compatible accelerating voltages

2. The maximum detector speed shall be greater than 1000 frames per second

3. The detector signal-to-noise ratio shall be greater than 120 at 200 keV accelerating voltage.

iii. The detector software shall be able to produce images based on virtual detector masks

1. The detector software shall provide a live virtual image display based on user mask definition

2. The detector software shall produce differential phase contrast images based on detector output

F. Electron Holography

a. The instrument shall be outfitted with a rotating biprism to enable inline and off-axis holographic electron imaging

b. The instrument shall have a continuously adjustable voltage supply capable of applying voltages to the biprism.

c. The instrument shall have vendor supplied lens settings enabling holographic imaging.

G. Energy Dispersive X-ray Detector(s)

a. The energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) detector(s) shall be either retractable or shuttered windowless silicon drift detector(s).

i. The detectors shall have an energy resolution of 136 eV or better as measured by the full-width half-maximum of the Mn-Kα x-ray line

ii. The combined solid angle of collection for the x-ray detector(s) shall be 1.4 steradians or greater.

b. The EDX detector software shall provide comprehensive control of the detectors and microscope

i. The system shall be capable of collecting spectra from a spot, a series of spectra in a line scan, and an elemental map consisting of an image of x-ray spectra. Individual spectra shall be retrievable from each pixel in a line or area scan.

ii. The system shall be capable of correcting microscope drift in all the above listed collection modes

Statement of Work (SOW) 9

H. Electron Energy Filter

a. The instrument shall be fitted with a post-specimen electron energy filter which allows for both spectroscopy and energy-filtered imaging

i. The energy resolution of the energy filter shall be better than 0.3 electron volts

ii. The energy filter shall be fitted with a scintillator-type camera with a spectral rate of 8000 spectra per second or more.

iii. The energy filter control software shall allow for high-speed spectrum imaging and high-speed integration with the microscope’s energy dispersive x-ray detector(s)

iv. The filter shall allow for the collection of energy-filtered 4D STEM data

v. The filter shall be optimized for acquisition of in-situ experiments

b. The electron energy filter control software shall include automatic filter alignment/tuning

c. The energy filter shall be aligned at accelerating voltages of 300 kilovolts, 200 kilovolts, and 60 kilovolts

I. Tomography

a. The instrument shall be outfitted with hardware to allow tilting to high angles to enable the collection of tilt series data sets

i. The stage shall be able to rotate from at least -70 degrees to +70 degrees with a specialized tomography holder

ii. The instrument stage shall be mechanically stable and demonstrate specified spatial resolution (defined in C. f.) at all tilt angles

b. The instrument shall include software to automate the collection of multiple signals at multiple stage angles during tilt series acquisition

i. The acquisition software shall allow for tilt series acquisition in both transmission electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging modes

ii. The acquisition software shall be integrated with all instrument cameras and detectors such that data can be automatically read from one or more detectors during tilt series acquisitions

iii. The acquisition software shall enable the collection of signals from the energy dispersive x-ray detector at each angle during tilt series acquisition

iv. The acquisition software shall enable the collection of signals and images from the electron energy filter at each angle during tilt series acquisition

v. The acquisition software shall allow for drift tracking and correction during tilt series acquisition

c. The contractor shall provide software to allow for processing of collected tilt series data, including preprocessing, GPU-accelerated reconstruction of tilt series data via back projection, weighted back projection, and simultaneous iterative reconstruction techniques.

J. Specimen Holders

a. The Contractor shall provide the following specimen holders that are compatible with the side-entry stage/goniometer system:

i. One standard single-tilt type specimen holder

Statement of Work (SOW) 10

ii. One low x-ray background double-tilt style holder, with α and β tilt reaching at least ±30° and ±27°, respectively.

1. The second tilt axis shall be controllable with the microscope control software

iii. One low-profile tomography holder to enable high tilt angles during the acquisition of tilt series data sets

K. Microscope User Interface

a. The instrument shall be equipped with a manual user interface (often called hand panels) to allow the operator to control the microscope

b. The microscope user interface software shall allow adjustment of all microscope settings. Aside from inserting and removing a specimen, the user shall not need to interact with the physical microscope during normal use.

c. The microscope user interface software shall allow for user friendly adjustment of instrument modes and alignments.

i. The instrument shall be able to store and recall alignment files.

ii. The instrument shall be able to seamlessly switch between imaging modes

(e.g. TEM to STEM, TEM imaging mode to diffraction mode, TEM imaging mode to nanobeam diffraction mode, among others) while maintaining previously stored alignment files.

iii. The instrument shall be able to recall imaging modes and alignments based on previously stored alignment files.

L. Data Analysis Software

a. The Contractor shall provide software to allow for the processing and analysis of data produced by the microscope, including but not limited to:

i. TEM and STEM images, including analysis of differential phase contrast using the segmented STEM detector

ii. Energy dispersive x-ray spectra and associated hyperspectral images

iii. Electron energy loss spectra and associated hyperspectral images

iv. Three-dimensional tomographic datasets, including three dimensional images that integrate energy dispersive x-ray spectra and electron energy loss spectra

M. Automation Software

a. The instrument shall be equipped with software to automate the collection of images over large areas, including stage movements, auto focusing routines, auto brightness/contrast routines, and automated routines for the correction of astigmatism

i. This automation software shall integrate with all microscope detectors, including the energy dispersive x-ray detectors

b. This automation software shall integrate with all microscope detectors, including the energy dispersive x-ray detectors

N. Remote Operation

a. The instrument shall include any and all software packages required to enable remote operation from a remote site

Statement of Work (SOW) 11

b. If available, the Contractor shall provide one additional set of hand panels for NIST use from a remote site. All hand panels shall comply with the USB 2.0 or newer standard

c. The Contractor shall provide two NIST-wide site licenses (if required) for remote operation of all native microscope modes, including free lens control

O. Support Equipment

a. The Contractor shall provide a water chiller to provide cooling water to the microscope and any other Contractor supplied equipment that requires cooling water

i. The Contractor shall coordinate with the Government to determine whether the chiller shall be water cooled or air cooled.

P. Physical Requirements

a. The microscope instrument shall be in an enclosure

b. The instrument (including all enclosures) shall fit in a laboratory with a ceiling height of 13 feet (3.96 meters)

c. The instrument must fit in a room that is 23 feet (7.01 meters) wide and 23 feet (7.01 meters) deep

d. The Contractor shall work with the Government to determine whether proposed renovated laboratory layouts will be appropriate for the instrument layout

e. The Contractor shall coordinate with a contractor performing laboratory renovations. This coordination may include but is not limited to participating in meetings in person or via conference call and providing information regarding utility services and environmental requirements

Q. Training

a. The Contractor shall provide at least ten days of training on the scanning transmission electron microscope instrument for up to five NIST staff members.

Training shall include operation of the instrument and basic instrument maintenance operations.

b. The Contractor shall offer at least ten days of remote applications support on the high-resolution analytical transmission electron microscope instrument.

R. Electrical Power

a. The system and all of its components shall be able to be powered by either 120 V/60

Hz single phase power or 208 V/60 Hz single phase or 208 V / 60 Hz three phase power. If the tool requires power other than those describe above, the contractor shall provide a suitable transformer that can be powered using the above electrical specifications.

S. Inspection and Acceptance

a. Before shipping the system, the contractor shall provide the Government a standard factory acceptance report demonstrating that the scanning transmission electron microscope system performs according to the contractor’s standard factory acceptance test.

b. The Government reserves the right to be present during the factory acceptance test.

The contractor shall provide the Government with a schedule of the factory

Statement of Work (SOW) 12 acceptance test at least four (4) weeks prior to the test to ensure that the Government has enough time to arrange for travel to the factory acceptance testing.

c. After system installation, the contractor shall demonstrate the system performs according to the system specifications using a standard site acceptance test. The system must pass the standard site acceptance test before it will be accepted.

i. During site acceptance testing, NIST reserves the right to request replication of images, spectra, or other specifications which were demonstrated or provided in the Contractor’s proposal, during technical evaluation, or during factory acceptance testing.

T. Delivery and Installation

a. Upon successful factory testing, the contractor shall be responsible for delivering the TEM instrument to the Building 81 loading dock on the NIST campus in Boulder, CO.

b. During transport to the final tool location, the system components shall be able to pass through a freight elevator with doors that are 7 feet 11 inches tall and eight feet wide. The elevator platform has an entrance door to back length of 9 feet and a width of 13 feet, a cab height of 7 feet 11 inches, and has a weight limit of 10,000 pounds.

c. The contractor shall provide personnel that pass required government background checks to be issues badges for work on site. At the time of shipment of the system, the contractor shall provide the names and contact information of all personnel who will be on site to perform any installation or commissioning work. These personnel shall be required to pass a government background check to be issued badges for work on site.

d. The contractor shall schedule all visits to the BMF for US citizens or permanent residents with the TPOC at least 2 weeks before arriving at the site. The contractor shall schedule all visits to the BMF for non-US citizens or non-permanent residents with the TPOC at least 6 weeks before arriving at the site.

U. Travel

a. The contractor shall be responsible for all travel expenses for the contractor’s personnel

b. The Government will be responsible for all travel expenses for the Government’s personnel

V. Contractor Supplied Materials

a. The Contractor shall supply all parts, hardware, equipment, tools, and labor required to install the instrument

W. Warranty

a. The Contractor shall provide a comprehensive warranty to cover the instrument for a period of one (1) year. The warranty shall cover all parts, labor, and travel related to execution of the warranty.

CLIN 000101: Uninterruptable Power Supply OPTION

Statement of Work (SOW) 13

Description: Uninterruptable power supply for the scanning transmission electron microscope instrument Quantity: one (1) Option Execution: Within 120 days after contract award

Technical Specifications:

A. The contractor shall provide an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) system that can support the microscope and all critical systems during brief facility power outages

B. The UPS system shall support the microscope during a power outage with no delay where the instrument will lose power

C. The UPS system shall support the microscope for at least 10 minutes

CLIN 000102: Extended Applications Training OPTION Description: Extended on-site applications training on the scanning transmission electron microscope system Quantity: one (1) Option Execution: Within 180 days after contract award

Technical Specifications:

A. The Contractor shall provide an applications engineer for twenty business days on site at NIST in Boulder, CO

a. The applications engineer shall be responsible for training of NIST users as well as advanced applications training

b. The cost of this option shall be inclusive of all travel, lodging, and living expenses for the applications engineer

c. NIST and the Contractor may coordinate such that the thirty business days are not contiguous. For example, the applications engineer may be on site for 15 days for initial training and then return at a later date for an additional 15 days.

d. Extended applications training will be completed within one year of acceptance

CLIN 000103: Liquid Nitrogen Cooling Specimen Holder OPTION Description: Specimen holder to cool transmission electron microscopy specimens using liquid nitrogen Quantity: one (1) Option Execution: Within 365 days after contract award

Technical Specifications:

A. The contractor shall provide a rod-style specimen holder compatible with the side entry stage/goniometer. The specimen holder shall have the following features:

a. A liquid nitrogen Dewar to cool the specimen to less than -170 °C

b. A second (β) tilt axis to allow for tilting of the specimen, including motorized control from the microscope software user interface

c. A hex-ring style sample retainer system

d. A temperature controller to monitor the temperature of the specimen

CLIN 000104: MEMS-based Heating and Biasing Specimen Holder OPTION

Statement of Work (SOW) 14

Description: Specimen holder to allow for heating and electrical biasing via a MEMS chip-based system Quantity: one (1) Option Execution: Within 365 days after contract award

Technical Specifications:

A. The contractor shall provide a rod-style specimen holder compatible with the side entry stage/goniometer. The specimen holder shall have the following features:

a. The ability to heat and bias specimens based on a MEMS-based chip system

i. The holder shall allow for biasing at voltages of 40 volts or higher

b. A second (β) tilt axis to allow for tilting of the specimen, including motorized control from the microscope software user interface

i. The holder shall be able to heat and bias specimens at any value of α or β tilt

c. Hardware and/or software to control the stage heating and biasing behavior of the

MEMS-based chip

d. Hardware and/or software to interface with the microscope and monitor/control drift during heating and/or biasing operations

CLIN 000105: High-angle Rotation Tomography Holder OPTION Description: Cartridge-based specimen holder to allow for high tilt angles Quantity: one (1) Option Execution: Within 365 days after contract award

Technical Specifications:

A. The contractor shall provide a rod-style specimen holder compatible with the side entry stage/goniometer. The specimen holder shall have the following features:

a. A low profile to allow for ultra-high tilting angles during the collection of tilt-series data sets

b. A cartridge-type specimen loading system, which allow for the loading of:

i. Needle sample on a single point tip cartridge

ii. A standard 3 mm transmission electron microscopy grid

iii. A standard 3 mm half grid for transmission electron microscopy

B. The Contractor shall provide any and all fixtures required to load specimens in the cartridges defined in section A. b.

CLIN 000106: Active Vibration Isolation System OPTION Description: Active vibration isolation system to reduce environmental vibrations Quantity: one (1) Option Execution: Within 120 days after contract award

Technical Specifications:

A. The contractor shall provide an active vibration isolation system to reduce the environmental vibrations

a. When installed, the active vibration isolation system shall reduce environmental vibrations to meet the VC-F vibration criteria

Statement of Work (SOW) 15

b. The Government will provide an opportunity for the contractor to visit the site during immediately following award to survey the site and determine what is necessary to meet this requirement

CLIN 000107: Extended Warranty and Service Contract Description: One (1) year of extended warranty and service for the scanning transmission electron microscope instrument Quantity: one (1)

Technical Specifications:

A. Instrument Service Contract

a. Quantity one (1) Year – Instrument Service Contract (1st year after warranty included in base instrument CLIN 0001). This service associated with this contract shall meet or exceed the initial one (1) year Warranty and Service included with the base instrument. To be clear, this would result in NIST having a total of at least two (2) years of instrument warranty/service.

CLIN 000108: Extended Warranty and Service Contract microscope instrument Quantity: one (1)

Technical Specifications:

A. Instrument Service Contract

a. Quantity one (1) Year – Instrument Service Contract (2nd year after warranty included in base instrument CLIN 0001) to start at the end of the instrument service contract in CLIN 000107. This service associated with this contract shall meet or exceed the initial one (1) year Warranty and Service included with the base instrument. To be clear, this would result in NIST having a total of at least three (3) years of instrument warranty/service.

CLIN 000109: Extended Warranty and Service Contract microscope instrument Quantity: one (1)

Technical Specifications:

A. Extended Warranty and Service Contract

a. Quantity one (1) Year – Instrument Service Contract (3rd year after warranty included in base instrument CLIN 0001) to start at the end of the warranty in CLIN 000108.

This service associated with this contract shall meet or exceed the initial one (1) year Warranty and Service included with the base instrument. To be clear, this would result in NIST having a total of at least four (4) years of instrument warranty/service.

Statement of Work (SOW) 16

CLIN 000110: Extended Warranty and Service Contract Description: One (1) year of extended warranty and service for the scanning transmission electron microscope instrument Quantity: one (1)

Technical Specifications:

A. Extended Warranty and Service Contract Quantity one (1) Year – Instrument Service Contract (4th year after warranty included in base instrument CLIN 0001) to start at the end of the warranty in CLIN 000109. This service associated with this contract shall meet or exceed the initial one (1) year Warranty and Service included with the base instrument. To be clear, this would result in NIST having a total of at least five (5) years of instrument warranty/service.

System 2: High-throughput Transmission Electron Microscope

CLIN 0002: High Throughput Transmission Electron Microscope Instrument Description: Transmission electron microscope instrument including all necessary hardware & software for full operation Quantity: one (1)

Technical Specifications:

The TEM instrument shall (1) accept thin samples (typically thinner than 100 nanometers) for analysis, (2) generate a high-energy electron beam which is transmitted through the thin specimen,

(3) detect the transmitted electrons (and other associated signals) to produce an image of the specimen, and (4) contain a high-precision specimen stage to allow for specimen movement during an imaging experiment.

The system shall include the following subsystems:

A. Vacuum System:

a. Vacuum Pumps

i. All vacuum pumps and/or vacuum pumping systems shall be oil free.

b. Vacuum System Operations

i. All routine operations of the vacuum system (venting/pumping) shall be integrated into the instrument control software with software/hardware interlocks that prevent users from accidentally venting any or all of the vacuum system. The full vacuum system shall have all necessary pumps, gauges, controls, and valves necessary for routine operation. Automatic isolation valves shall close in the event of a building power or facilities loss to maintain the integrity of the vacuum system.

ii. The vacuum system shall be capable of automatically recovering from an accidental venting event (e.g. a user inserting a specimen improperly).

c. Anti-contamination Device

Statement of Work (SOW) 17

i. A cold-trap type device shall be incorporated into the microscope to minimize specimen contamination

ii. The liquid nitrogen Dewar on the cold trap shall remain cold at liquid nitrogen temperatures for a minimum of 20 hours after filling. Preference will be given for times greater than 20 hours.

d. Specimen Contamination

i. The Contractor shall demonstrate that the microscope meets the

Contractor’s standard specimen contamination criteria

B. Electron Source:

a. Source

i. The electron emitter shall be a Schottky field emission gun (FEG)

ii. The electron source shall produce an electron beam with an energy spread of

1.0 electron volts or less measured at the full-with half-maximum at the maximum operating voltage

iii. All operations of the electron source, including startup/operation, voltage ramping, source conditioning, and setting of the extraction voltage shall be integrated into the microscope software user interface

b. Accelerating Voltage

i. The electron source and accelerator shall be able to produce a coherent electron beam at accelerating voltages between 80 kilovolts and 200 kilovolts

ii. The accelerating voltage shall be variable between the minimum voltage and

200 kilovolts

iii. The microscope shall be aligned at the following accelerating voltages during installation: 200 kilovolts, and 80 kilovolts

iv. Changing of the accelerating voltage shall be integrated into the software user interface, providing automatic control

C. Electron Optical System

a. Illumination System

i. The illumination system shall allow for control of the probe convergence angle

b. Condenser apertures

i. Apertures shall be included for all condenser lenses as appropriate to ensure correct and effective operation of the microscope.

ii. All condenser apertures shall be motorized and integrated with the microscope software user interface

iii. Apertures shall recall their previous position when inserted

c. Objective Lens/Projection System

i. Electronic astigmatism correction shall be provided for both the objective and projector lens systems.

ii. The contractor shall coordinate with the Government to determine the final objective aperture size configuration. The objective apertures shall be in the back focal plane of the objective lens.

1. The Contractor shall coordinate with the government to determine the final aperture size selection

iii. The image rotation between imaging and diffraction modes shall be corrected electronically

Statement of Work (SOW) 18

d. Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) Capabilities

i. The STEM scan system shall allow collection of images between 64 x 64 pixels in size (or smaller) and 4096 x 4096 pixels in size (or larger)

ii. The minimum STEM imaging dwell time shall be 90 nanoseconds or lower

iii. The STEM scanning system shall allow for the collection of images of square or rectangular shape of arbitrary pixel size. This may be accomplished with third-party software.

iv. The guaranteed STEM resolution at the highest accelerating voltage shall be at least 160 picometers

e. Transmission Electron Microscope Capabilities

i. The information limit when operated in TEM mode shall be 120 picometers or better

ii. The point resolution when operated in TEM mode shall be 230 picometers or better

D. Specimen Stage and Goniometer:

a. Stage Type

i. The specimen stage and goniometer shall be a side-entry type stage to accept rod-type sample holders

ii. The specimen stage shall be fully computerized and integrated with the instrument control software

b. Stage Travel

i. The specimen stage motion shall be accomplished in full, or in part, by piezoelectric mechanical actuators

ii. Stage translation shall be at least ± 1.0 millimeter from the center of the specimen in the X- and Y-direction and at least 0.2 mm in the Z-direction.

c. Stage Position Recall and Repeatability

i. The stage position shall be indicated with a precision of at least 0.1 micrometer and 0.1 degree

ii. The software user interface shall allow for accurate (within 3 micrometers) storage and recall of stage positions

d. Specimen tilting

i. With the standard double tilt holder, the stage shall be able to tilt ±27° or more in both the α and β tilt directions

ii. With a low-profile tomography holder, the stage shall be able to tilt ±70° or more in the alpha tilt direction

E. Cameras and Electron Detectors

a. Microscope alignment camera

i. A camera shall be provided for aligning the microscope for optimal imaging conditions.

ii. The camera shall be able to image the intense direct electron beam without damage to the camera sensor

iii. The camera shall be able to retract fully such that it does not block any portion of the electron beam when not in use

b. Pre-filter Camera

Statement of Work (SOW) 19

i. A camera shall be provided above any spectrometer or imaging filter for standard TEM imaging and collection of diffraction patterns, including high-speed acquisition of diffraction patterns for four-dimensional STEM imaging.

1. The camera may be the same camera specified in Section E. a.

2. The camera shall be able to retract fully such that it does not block any portion of the electron beam when not in use

3. The camera frame rate shall be at a minimum:

a. 4096 x 4096 pixels, 25 frames per second

b. 2048 x 2048 pixels, 80 frames per second

c. 1024 x 1024 pixels, 160 frames per second

4. The camera shall have a dynamic range of greater than 16 bits (frame summing permitted)

5. The camera shall operate at all accelerating voltages specified in section B. b. iii.

6. The detector quantum efficiency shall be better than 9% (0.5 Nyquist frequency) at 200 kilovolts accelerating voltage

ii. The microscope shall be fitted with a beam stop to block the intense direct electron beam as needed during imaging.

c. STEM Detector(s)

i. The instrument shall be equipped with a retractable detector for imaging in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) mode.

ii. The STEM detector(s) shall function at all accelerating voltages specified in section B. b. iii.

iii. The STEM detector shall offer imaging modes including (but not limited to) high-angle annular dark field, dark field, bright field, annular bright field, and differential phase contrast

iv. The STEM detector shall have at least 8 segments with integration into the microscope software user interface to choose and image with specific detector sections

v. The microscope shall include a software package or packages for the analysis of differential phase contrast images from multi-segment STEM detector datasets

F. Lorentz Imaging

a. The instrument shall be equipped with all lenses, settings and detectors required to perform Lorentz (Fresnel and Foucault) imaging

b. All adjustments required for Lorentz imaging shall be integrated into the microscope control software

G. Energy Dispersive X-ray Detector(s)

a. The energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) detector(s) shall be either retractable or shuttered windowless silicon drift detector(s).

i. The detectors shall have an energy resolution of 136 eV or better as measured by the full-width half-maximum of the Mn-Kα X-ray line

ii. The combined solid angle of collection for the X-ray detector(s) shall be 0.9 steradians or greater

Statement of Work (SOW) 20

b. The EDX detector software shall provide comprehensive control of the detectors and microscope

i. The system shall be capable of collecting spectra from a spot, a series of spectra in a line scan, and an elemental map consisting of an image of x-ray spectra

ii. The system shall be capable of correcting microscope drift in all the above listed collection modes

H. Electron Energy Filter

a. The instrument shall be fitted with a post-specimen electron energy filter which allows for both spectroscopy and energy-filtered imaging

i. The energy resolution of the energy filter shall be better than 0.3 electron volts

ii. The energy filter shall be fitted with a scintillator-type camera with a spectral rate of 8000 spectra per second or greater

iii. The energy filter control software shall allow for high-speed spectrum imaging and integration with the microscope energy dispersive x-ray detectors

iv. The filter shall be optimized for acquisition of in-situ experiments

b. The electron energy filter control software shall include automatic filter alignment/tuning

c. The energy filter shall be aligned at accelerating voltages of 200 kilovolts and 80 kilovolts

I. Tomography

a. The instrument shall be outfitted with hardware to allow tilting to high angles to enable the collection of tilt series data sets

i. The stage shall be able to rotate between (at least) -70 degrees and +70 degrees with a specialized tomography holder

ii. The instrument stage shall be mechanically stable and demonstrate consistent spatial resolution at all tilt angles

b. The instrument shall include software to automate the collection of multiple signals at multiple stage angles during tilt series acquisition

i. The acquisition software shall allow for tilt series acquisition in both transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy imaging modes

ii. The acquisition software shall be integrated with all instrument cameras and detectors such that data can be automatically read from one or more detectors during tilt series acquisitions

iii. The acquisition software shall enable the collection of signals from the energy dispersive x-ray detector at each angle during tilt series acquisition

iv. The acquisition software shall enable the collection of signals and images from the electron energy filter at each angle during tilt series acquisition

v. The acquisition software shall allow for drift tracking and correction during tilt series acquisition

c. The Contractor shall provide software to allow for processing of collected tilt series data, including preprocessing, GPU-accelerated reconstruction of tilt series data via

Statement of Work (SOW) 21 back projection, weighted back projection, and simultaneous iterative reconstruction techniques.

J. Specimen Holders

a. The instrument shall include specimen holders that are compatible with the side-entry stage/goniometer system:

i. One standard single-tilt type specimen holder

ii. One low x-ray background double-tilt style holder

1. The second tilt axis shall be controllable with the microscope control software

iii. One double-tilt style holder with a hex-ring type specimen retaining system

1. The second tilt axis shall be controllable with the microscope control software

2. This holder can be the same holder described in item J. a. ii.

K. Microscope User Interface

a. The instrument shall be equipped with a manual user interface (often called hand panels) to allow the operator to…