B1 BSA475591 QA Amendment 3.pdf

1. Seven terminal device electrodes required:

o We have two bias contacts and five additional electrical contacts for the sample stage. That makes seven in total. So if the “positive and negative voltage probes” can be the bias contacts, then that works. -> please let your Tech Reb confirm this is acceptable

Acceptable (Updated in SOW/SPEC)

2. Magnetic field assembly:

o We offered a stage suitable for a sample plate with a magnet. A removable magnetic field assembly was not part of our past quotes. We will include this in the updated proposal

A removable magnetic field assembly was proposed by the supplier, and its price has been included in their latest quote. The supplier also agreed and included the assembly in their revised technical specifications. Compared with the original PO, we have removed the requirements for atomic resolution testing, low-temperature testing, and fabrication of the temperature-readout cable, ensured CFN perform the SPM chamber and cryostat installation and substantially extended the delivery schedule in the current PO to accommodate the Contractor’s requests. These changes should reduce material and labor costs. The Supplier has added a temperature controller, additional electrical contacts, a removable magnet, and a second sample stage, increasing the price from $150,000 to $212,600 without providing a detailed price breakdown for each addition. This $62,600 increase represents approximately 42% of the original quote, despite our removal of the materials and services specified above, and should be sufficient to cover the removable magnet and second sample stage. Therefore, please do not request any further price increases.

3. The CFN Operation’s Group will assist with installation of the delivered SPM chamber into the multiprobe system.

o Will they assist or perform the SPM chamber installation?

CFN will perform the SPM chamber installation (updated in SOW/SPEC )

4. A separate on-site service will be purchased and completed for Scienta Omicron o We need a guarantee that Scienta Omicron, one of our direct competitors, will have no free access to our LT-SPM scanner, which would give them the opportunity to study its features and design. Can you give us this guarantee?

o How will Scienta Omicron test the MATRIX controller without a scanner?

The on-site service to install the hardware components and software in the Matrix controller for operating the QPlus AFM has already been completed by Scienta Omicron, so they will have no further access to the system.

5. The Supplier’s field engineer shall test STM and AFM performance on an Au(111) or graphite crystal using the existing Scienta Omicron MATRIX SPM controller, with assistance from CFN staff, o The CreaTec engineer is not trained to operate Scienta Omicron's controller. Hence, our engineer cannot perform these tests. CFN staff will have to perform them with assistance from supplier’s field engineer

We are not familiar with CreaTec hardware, and CreaTec is not familiar with the Scienta Omicron MATRIX SPM controller. Therefore, the test must be conducted jointly by CFN staff and a CreaTec engineer; a single person from either site cannot perform the test alone. In addition, during earlier discussions about the project’s feasibility, CreaTec stated that it had successfully operated the CreaTec LT-STM using a Scienta Omicron MATRIX SPM controller. This suggests that CreaTec has experience testing an LT-STM with a MATRIX SPM controller.

If CreaTec is unable to test the STM and AFM operation and will only install the STM/AFM components and wiring in the SPM chamber already installed by CFN staff, CreaTec should be able to complete in days vs weeks.

CreaTec’s inability to test the performance of the AFM and STM on-site also undermines the foundation of this purchase, as we cannot compromise on this key service.

6. Documented root-cause analysis and recommendations for corrective actions:

o This was not part of the last SOW. Considering this project includes BNL's own pre-existing equipment alongside third-party suppliers' equipment, our proposal is:

§ If atomic resolution is not achieved: We accept to provide a documented analysis provided that the limitation is proven to originate directly from the new hardware components we supply. If the failure to achieve resolution is due to third-party equipment (e.g., Scienta Omicron Matrix controller, pre-existing hardware and components), external environmental factors, or site-specific conditions beyond our control, any further investigative work, troubleshooting, or engineering recommendations shall be performed on a time-and-materials basis at our standard service rates.

Our initial SOW requested atomic resolution for both STM and AFM. We understand that third-party and environmental factors may affect their performance, so we have compromised by no longer requiring tests to demonstrate atomic resolution.

Instead, we require performance testing of both STM and AFM in updated SOW to verify their performance quality and identify any potential issues and root causes. This is an essential business requirement to quantitatively verify the quality of the purchased equipment.

If a failure is due to the Supplier’s hardware, the Supplier is responsible for resolving the problem under this Contract. If a failure is due to third-party components or environmental conditions, the Supplier shall provide a documented analysis to prove that the failure was not caused by the Supplier’s components, but by third-party components or environmental conditions. In the latter case, we agree that any future solution will be provided on a time-and-materials basis under a new purchase order.

7. Smooth sample interchamber transfer among the SPM chamber, neighboring chambers, and inner SPM chambers will be tested by the Suppliers.

o This must work before our engineer arrives. Therefore this has to be tested by CFN staff prior to the supplier's field engineer's arrival.

CFN staff can only install and integrate the SPM chamber into the existing system. All STM/AFM heads, sample stage, related components, and transfer tools must be installed by the supplier’s field engineers upon arrival. Therefore, testing cannot be performed before the supplier’s field engineers arrive, particularly the transfer in the inner SPM chamber. However, sample transfer between chambers using the existing transfer rod can be tested before the field engineer arrives.

8. All cables to be installed in a cable tray shall be rated for Cable Tray use and conform to NFPA 70 requirements. The cable shall have the TC (Tray Cable) marking and be NRTL listed.

o Our cables lack TC marking.

o Do cables that do not run in cable trays require TC marking? If that is acceptable we wil have to run our cables outside the cable tray (I am wondering how this was handled in the existing CreaTec LT-SPM system in Percy Zahl's lab)

Cables outside the tray do not need the marking. We can address this during the design phase.

9. All electrical work on-site must be performed only by qualified electrical workers.

Contractors who perform electrical work must meet BNL qualification requirements o Does soldering work inside the cryostat to connect cables count as "electrical work"?

Assuming the work is done while the system is powered down/locked out, then it does not count as electrical work.

10. Achievement of Atomic Resolution during Testing:

o Demonstrating atomic resolution during the performance test cannot be guaranteed:

o On an Au(111) sample, achieving atomic resolution is fundamentally impossible at room temperature, where test will be performed.

Using our RT-STM in the existing system, we can routinely achieve atomic resolution on an Au(111) sample at room temperature, primarily under UHV conditions.

o On a graphite sample, while technically feasible, it heavily depends on the random stochastic condition of the tip apex at the exact moment of testing, making it impossible to guarantee on demand.

The ability to perform STM tip conditioning to achieve atomic resolution is part of the STM quality test.

11. Custom-made high-frequency cables shall be provided for connections between the cryostat feedthroughs and the SPM controller o We do not have these in our existing quote. Who shall provide them, CFN or supplier?

The original quote includes custom-made cables for connections between the cryostat feedthroughs and the existing Matrix SPM controller. The Supplier may select the cable type, provided that it meets the technical performance specifications for the STM/AFM. We have removed the term “high-frequency” from the cable description in the updated SOW and Specifications.

12. The STM and AFM performance of the system will be tested at RT using an Au(111) or graphite crystal by the contractor’s field engineer, o We only offer STM tests and will not perform AFM tests with the Matrix controller

We purchased both the STM and AFM, so we must test their performance to ensure they operate properly – this does not necessarily require atomic resolution imaging, we can come to some agreement on an appropriate test for the AFM component.

If CreaTec will only install the STM/AFM components and wiring, without testing their performance, they should be able to complete in days vs weeks. (Updated in SOW/SPECS)

13. Under AFM / Structure:

o External bandpass / filter / amplifier for the qPlus© signal. Additional analogue I/O board (500kHz) to provide the excitation and read the qPlus* signal into the DSP forming a PLL. <= this must be a copy and past error. Since the electronics will be provided by the customer, these

Okay, these requirements is deleted. ( Updated in SOW/SPECS)

14. LHe Preamplifier with Power Converter o The system shall include DC supplies for the STM section (±12 V) and the AFM section (±2 V), powered from a standard DSP-unit outlet providing ±12.8 V to ±15 V.

o Who will ensure that this can be connected to the Matrix controller?

We do not know at this time whether it can be connected to the Matrix controller. If it cannot, resolving the issue will not be the responsibility of the Supplier under this Contract.

Additional Q & A below:

1. Electrical safety (SOW V5, Environment, Safety and Health):

• For equipment that is not NRTL-listed, the SOW asks for a field evaluation before use. Is this the contractor's responsibility and cost, and is an evaluation by an NRTL at CFN after installation acceptable to BNL's electrical authority?

It is the contractor’s responsibility to arrange and pay for the NRTL evaluation. While we prefer a factory evaluation, a field evaluation after installation at the CFN is acceptable and BSA can work with the supplier to identify an evaluation company and schedule the on-site evaluation.

• Will any of the SPM cables run in the cable tray? If so, they would need the TC (Tray Cable) rating the SOW asks for.

SPM cables run outside of the cable tray.

• Does connecting the instrument wiring inside the cryostat count as "electrical work" that requires NFPA 70E / OSHA 10-hr proof?

Assuming the work is done while the system is powered down/locked out, then it does not count as electrical work.

2. Calendar dates. Section I of the draft contract now lists fixed dates (for example design by 22 Oct 2026, shipment 22 April 2027, on-site work 22 July 2027), although the table header says "Do not put a specific date in". The dates assume an award around 1 October; the solicitation now closes on 12 October. Removed the dates.

The dates in the draft contract will be provided prior to award of contract. Could Section I use weeks after receipt of order only, as Attachment A does? Section I, will have dates. The dates will be adjusted in accordance with the number of weeks listed prior to award. If there is any conflict with the dates in Section I, Deliverable table and the SOW, the Deliverable Table will take precedence.

Three related points:

• 5 May 2027 is shown as week 32, and the chamber installation (week 32) comes before the crane installation (week 34), although the note says the crane goes in first.

Because the SPM chamber is neither tall nor heavy, it can be installed during Week 32 without modifying the cable tray or using a crane. A crane will be used to install the cryostat.

• In August the on-site weeks carried the note "depending on exact completion date of prior steps and CreaTec engineer's availability". Could our on-site work count from completion of the CFN and Scienta Omicron steps?

Yes

• The SOW schedule shows on-site installation at weeks 35-40, the deliverables table at weeks 37-42. Adjusted to 37-42 weeks in the SOW

3. Delivery after design approval. In August we agreed fabrication "approx. 20 weeks after design approval by CFN" and delivery "23 week after design approval (29 weeks ARO)". V5 shows only "26 weeks ARO" and "29 weeks ARO", while the design step now allows additional time to answer open questions. Could fabrication and delivery count from CFN's design approval, as agreed?

Yes

4. On-site test. Please confirm the on-site acceptance test is: imaging the Au(111) herringbone reconstruction in constant-current STM mode at room temperature, plus I/V spectroscopy, using the existing MATRIX controller. On 29 July you wrote that "AFM performance testing is not required", and qPlus AFM operation will not be shown on the MATRIX controller. V5 and Section I now say "Testing STM and AFM operation", and the schedule milestone is still called "Achievement of Atomic Resolution". Could both be worded to match the test above?

After careful reconsideration, we do need to test the performance of both the STM and AFM. We cannot compromise on this requirement because we purchased both instruments and need to ensure their quality. However, we are no longer requesting that atomic resolution be achieved. The testing will be performed jointly by the Supplier’s field engineer and CFN staff to achieve successful testing. We have revised the SOW and Specifications accordingly.

5. Specification V3:

• The note that the parameters "describe the capability of the system to be delivered but they are not guaranteed" sits under the STM heading only. Could it move to the top of Attachment B so it covers the whole specification?

Moved to the top in the Specifications to cover both of STM and AFM.

• Please delete "(guaranteed)" from the STM drift line "Z: < 0.1 nm/h".

Deleted “(Guaranteed )”

• "Custom -made high-frequency cables shall be provided" and "The cable length shall be 10 m": the cable set is for STM operation with the MATRIX controller, 7 m long, with no high-frequency cables. Could these lines say so?

The term “high-frequency” has been removed. The 7 m cable set is fabricated for both STM and QPlus AFM operation.

7. Design. The SPM chamber is designed to CFN's dimensions, port requirements and CAD files, and CFN approves the design. Please confirm that these count as design furnished by BSA for the warranty clause. The clause says …” The Contractor also warrants that all goods delivered hereunder shall be free from defects in design (unless the design is furnished by the Buyer).” The SPM chamber is designed by buyer - BSA.

8. Drawings and documentation. The chamber drawings and the manufacturer's documentation are proprietary. Which data-rights marking would you like us to use?

We would suggest limited rights (FAR 52.227-14, Alternate II).

Per BSAs Non-commercial Items T&Cs, Article 84: Rights in Data-General (May 2014) with DEAR 952.227-14 with Alternate II and Alternate VIII (Dec 2024) 927.409(a) and (d)(3).

(Alternate II is applicable if limited rights in data is required. Alternate III is applicable if delivery is for restricted computer software.)

Stein, Aaron Xiao, please comment on this

Tong, Xiao Moved to The top

Stein, Aaron Xiao - remove from spec if you agree

Tong, Xiao Deleted

Stein, Aaron Xiao - update spec if you agree

Tong, Xiao In the previous version, the high-frequency cables had already been removed. The cable is used not only for STM but also for AFM. It should be 10 m long, although 7 m may be acceptable.

9. Terms. Section VII incorporates the General Terms and Conditions for Non- Commercial Items and the Supplemental Terms and Conditions for Work by Contractors Onsite, both Rev. 25 (September 2026). We could not find Rev. 25 on the BNL website. Could you send us both texts?

See links: For Non-commercial items BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY and for Supplemental for Work by Contractors Onsite BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY https://www.bnl.gov/ppm/docs/t-and-c/bsa_non-commercial_product_rev25.pdf https://www.bnl.gov/ppm/docs/t-and-c/bsa_supp_work_on_site_rev25.pdf