Specifications Final.pdf

PROCUREMENT OF AN X-RAY SCATTERING BEAMLINE FOR RAPID AND ADVANCED ANALYSIS OF

NANOMATERIALS

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) requires a commercially available laboratory-scale x-ray scattering beamline with advanced and high throughput capabilities for small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS). The system will be used for the study of various materials of interest including epitaxial, polycrystalline, and amorphous thin films, heterostructures, superlattices, nanostructures, nanocomposites, and sintered nanoparticle networks comprised of metals, oxides, nitrides, and arsenides.

The system must meet the following minimum technical, physical, and performance requirements:

1. General

1.1. The system must be capable of probing features with dimensions ranging from approximately 1

Å to 300 nm

1.2. The entire collimation path, sample area, and detection flight path including detector must be able to function in a continuous vacuum

2. X-ray source

2.1. The x-ray source must be a high brilliance microfocus rotating anode generator with a Cu anode and focal spot size of 70 µm or smaller

2.2. The x-ray source must support the future addition of other anode materials including Mo, Cr, and Co

2.3. The instrument must include long focal length optics optimized for Cu K-alpha radiation

3. Software

3.1. Must include control and data collection software with the following capabilities:

3.1.1. Graphical user interface and ability to create scripts for automated sequential performance of commands

3.1.2. Automated system alignment and change of scattering geometry

3.1.3. Real-time display of scattering pattern during data collection

3.1.4. Correction of scattering data for cosmic rays

3.1.5. Export data to various non-proprietary file formats

3.2. Must include data analysis software with the following capabilities:

3.2.1. Comprehensive suite of tools for data reduction and analysis

3.2.2. Export of high quality, publication ready figures

4. Chamber

4.1. Must have minimum height, length, and depth dimensions of 480 mm, 375 mm, and 450 mm, respectively

4.2. Must support vacuum, air, and specific gas ambients

4.3. Must have both front and rear access doors

4.4. Must have vacuum feedthroughs to support in situ/in operando experiments

4.5. The sample area must be able to be isolated in non-vacuum, atmospheric environments with a minimized gap for samples that cannot be exposed to vacuum

4.6. Must provide visualization of sample along the beam axis with no parallax error for sample alignment

5. Sample stage assembly

5.1. Must have two translational degrees of freedom perpendicular to beam axis for sample positioning, with a minimum travel range of 100 mm per direction and resolution of 1 µm or better

5.2. Must be capable of translating loads weighing at least 4 Kg

5.3. Samples must remain in the same translational plane during measurements

5.4. Must have an automatic sample environment recognition system that can identify different sample holders (ambient holders, heaters, tensile stages, etc.) when mounted to the sample stage assembly; vendor must provide support for integrating custom sample environments with the recognition system

6. Detector

6.1. The detector must be a vacuum compatible hybrid photon counting detector with the following capabilities/specifications:

6.1.1. Energy range covering at least 5.4 keV to 20 keV

6.1.2. Active area comprised of at least 1028 pixels x 1028 pixels with pixel size of 75 μm x 75 μm or smaller

6.2. Detector must support programmable, fully in vacuo movement along beam axis across entire range of sample-to-detector distances without requiring sample translation or rotation

6.3. Detector must support programmable movement in both directions perpendicular to beam axis to fill in gap regions between detector panels and virtually expand measurement area by a factor of at least 2 per direction

6.4. Beamstop-free, window-less intensity measurements

7. Accessories

7.1. Must include holders for simultaneous mounting of multiple samples, including solutions, solids, and powders

7.2. Must include a grazing incidence small-angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) stage with 3 degrees of rotational freedom and an azimuthal rotational range of at least 180 degrees

7.3. Must include a GISAXS-compatible temperature stage which can cool to cryogenic temperatures and can heat to at least 350 °C

7.4. Must include a high temperature sample stage with maximum temperature of at least 900°C

8. Services

8.1. Vendor must provide shipping, installation, and commissioning of system

8.2. Vendor must provide training which encompasses system operation, safety, data collection and analysis, and use of all accessories