66 -- SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE SYSTEM

Notice Date

January 26, 2001

Contracting Office

Naval Research Laboratory, Code 3220, 4555 Overlook Ave. S.W., Washington, D.C. 20375-5326

ZIP Code

20375-5326

Solicitation Number

N00173-01-R-KK01

Point of Contact

Kevin M. King, Contract Specialist, Code 3220.KK, (202) 767-1495, Wayne Carrington, Contracting Officer

E-Mail Address

CLICK HERE (KING@CONTRACTS.NRL.NAVY.MIL)

Description

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation, N00173-01-R-KK01, is a request for proposal (RFP). The incorporated provisions and clauses of this acquisition are those in effect for Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Federal Acquisition Circular 97-20 and for Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) and the Naval Acquisition Procedures Supplement (NAPS) effective through 15 DEC 00. The small business size standard for this acquisition is 500 employees and the NAICS code is 334516. This acquisition is unrestricted. 66. -- SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE SYSTEM. The Naval Research Laboratory, (NRL) has a requirement for CLIN 0001, Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) System, CLIN 0002 AFM Scan Head CLIN 0003 6 inch vacuum chuck and CLIN 0004 Integrated Vibration Isolation Table and Acoustic Enclosure. The required instrument shall meet or exceed the following specifications: The SPM must be capable of measuring a range of polymer, semiconductor, and other materials and must be able to perform imaging in a fluid environment. The SPM must be able to perform the following modes of operation: Contact AFM, Non-contact AFM, Tapping Mode AFM, Lateral Force AFM, Electric Force Microscopy, Magnetic Force Microscopy, Surface Potential Microscopy, and Phase Imaging. 1. System Controller and Electronics Interface The system must employ micro-actuated probe technology. This technology uses its own feedback loop to move the probe in the Z direction at speeds much faster than the scanner can by itself. The system must have the ability to characterize the cantilever's phase response to short and long range tip-to-sample forces. The system must offer at least 4,000 data points per scan line for high resolution imaging, and at least 512 lines per scan. The system must have three independent 16-bit digital to analog converters (DACs) per scan axis (x, y, and z for a total of 9). On a per scan axis basis, one DAC must be used to scale scan size, the second DAC must be used to scale scan pattern, and the third DAC must be used for scan offset. The system must have a digital resolution of the scan that is independent of the scan size and offset, allowing the use of a single large area scanner (>90 microns) for very small scans (<50 nm) anywhere within the scan range of the scanner with no artifacts caused by quantization or alisasing. The operator shall be able to use a single scanner for imaging an area as great as 90 microns, and then be able to "zoom" in (decreasing the scan size) and offset the probe to an area of interest for a high resolution scan. The system must have a feedback control of the tip-sample separation which is digital. The system must allow sampling with 16 bits of resolution and a sampling rate of 50kHz or greater in the control loop, thereby eliminating tip crashes. The system must have feedback and scan drive functions which have a lateral scan rate of > 500 microns per second with a 90 micron or greater scanner, with real-time scan linearization active. The system must have a disable/enable slow scan axis for optimizing feedback parameters along a single linescan. The system must allow for a choice of logarithmic (STM) or linear (AFM) feedback response, and provide the capability to select from the following input filters and gain types: integral, proportional, or digitally expressed functions. These input filters also must include the ability to perform real-time scan linearization and to utilize the information from the preceding scan to allow the tip to anticipate features in the current scan (2-D, also known as look-ahead gain). The user must be able to set the following scan and probing parameters, both before and during scanning: Scan rate, Feedback; integral, proportional, and 2-D, Scan size, Scan offset, Samples per scan line; 128, 256, 512, User selectable scan lines per image; from 4 up to 512 lines, Setpoint, bias voltage, cantilever deflection, Input filter, Input mode; log or linear, Operating mode; constant height or constant feedback parameter. The system must provide real-time simultaneous display of at least three images or scope traces consistent with the data acquisition mode. These images may be topography, auxiliary channel, force volume, lateral force (LFM), and real-time linearized scans in either trace or re-trace scan directions. The system must have the ability to initiate data capture and to go in to off-line analysis mode without interrupting data capture. The system must be able to capture at least 30 Mbytes of data before archiving is required. The system's control interface must allow for real-time response. The system must allow true 32-bit processing with pre-emptive multitasking. The system must have a real-time scan linearization which provides a calibrated non-linear waveform to the piezoelectric scanner, achieving a linear output for all scan sizes (2 nanometers to 90 microns) and scan rates. The system must be able to perform non-square scans of the specimen surface with a user selectable aspect ratio from 1:1 to 1:32. The system must provide the ability to perform a lift mode operation when measuring long-range force field gradients emanating from the sample surface. Examples of these long-range force field gradients are electric/coulombic forces and magnetic forces. The lift mode must work as follows: topography is determined on the first pass over a scan line, then the tip is lifted some user defined height off the surface and the exact same scan line is traced again, keeping a constant (user defined) separation between tip and sample surface. During this second pass, the tip interacts with, and measures, the long-range force field gradient. Other methods, which simply skim the tip some height above the sample without regard to topography, suffer from a convolution effect, and will be considered technically unacceptable. 2. Scan Head Performance The scan head must be capable of providing a three dimensional motion (x, y, z) of the probe relative to the sample surface. The scanner must have a >90 micron scan range in x and y, and a greater than 6 micron vertical (z) range. The scan head shall be optimized for linearity in the x, y, and z motions. The piezoelectric ceramic material used in these tubes must be optimized for sensitivity and linearity during the x,y and z motion of the scan head. This design must provide <1% change in z piezo sensitivity ("derating") for a 5 angstrom step height after calibrating the scanner with a 180 nanometer standard calibration reference. The scan head must incorporate a laser focus and tracking system that provides a means for the laser spot to follow the cantilever during any x, y motion of the scanner at any rate. This minimizes the effects of image bow, force variations over the entire scan field, and adverse effects due to differences in cantilever size, shape and texture. The scan head design must incorporate a changeable cantilever holder. For tip oscillation modes (such as Tapping Mode AFM, Electric Force Microscope, and Phase Imaging), the oscillation of the probe must be user selectable over a range of Root Mean Square amplitudes from DC to over 500 nanometers peak-to-peak, at frequencies from DC up to 1 MHz. 3. Sample Stage Requirements The sample stage must be motorized and computer controlled for accuracy of positioning. The stage must accommodate samples up to 6 inches in diameter and must allow for samples up to 12 mm thick to be translated under the AFM tip. 4. Optical Video Microscope The system must incorporate a video microscope that allows for an on-axis view of the tip and sample surface. This is critical for aligning the tip over feature of interest. The optical video microscope must have these minimum performance specifications: variable zoom from 410x to 1850x with a minimum resolution of 1.5 microns. 5. Tapping Mode Operation Tapping mode AFM must operate in the following manner: the probe is moved laterally relative to the surface of the sample, and simultaneously, is repeatedly lifted off the surface and returned to the surface. The repeated lifting avoids the probe dragging across the surface, thereby minimizing damage to the probe or sample, and eliminates distortion caused by stick-slip motion. This mode of operation is extremely important for imaging soft and/or hydrated samples. 6. Upgrades, Warranty, and Installation The system must provide the capability to be upgraded in the future so that other modes of operation can be implemented. These modes may require some hardware and/or software upgrades. These modes include: Tapping Mode in fluid, Scanning Thermal Microscopy, Nano-indentation, Scanning Capacitance Microscopy, Scanning Spreading Resistance Microscopy, Conductive AFM and Tunneling AFM. The contractor shall provide the Government with at least the same warranty terms, including offers of extended warranties, offered to the general public in customary commercial practice. Additionally, all software updates must be provided free of charge for the life of the instrument. The contractor shall provide installation and training in the of the scanning probe microscope system at NRL, Washington, D.C. The contractor shall provide 2 full sets of all manuals relevant to the operation of the system offered. Delivery and acceptance is at the Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave. S.W. Washington, DC 20375-5326, FOB Destination. The delivery schedule for all items is 120 days after the award of a contract. The FAR and DFAR provisions and clause cited herein are incorporated by reference into this solicitation. Offerors are advised to propose in accordance with the provision at FAR 212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items. The proposal must demonstrate an understanding of all requirements covered in the RFP's terms and conditions. General statements that the offer can or will comply with the requirements, that standard procedures will be used, that well known techniques will be used, or paraphrases the RFP's Specifications in whole or in part will not constitute compliance with these requirements concerning the content of the technical proposal. The Government intends to award a contract resulting from this solicitation to that responsible offeror proposing the lowest price for the Supplies or Services that has been determined to comply with the requirements of the solicitation. Offerors are advised to include with their offer a completed copy of the following provisions: FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-CommerciaI Items, DFARS 252.212-7000) (http://heron.nrl.navy.mil/contracts/reps&certscomm.pdf and DFARS 252.225-7000, Buy American Act-Balance of Payments Program Certificate. The following FAR clauses apply to this acquisition: FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial items, FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes of Executive Orders-Commercial Items. The additional clauses that are applicable to this acquisition are FAR 52.203-6, FAR 52.219-4, FAR 52.219-8, FAR 52.222-21, FAR 52.222-26, FAR 52.222-35, FAR 52.222-36, FAR 52.222-37, FAR 52.232-33 and FAR 52.247-64. The clauses at DFARS 252.212-7001, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes Applicable to Defense Acquisitions of Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The additional clauses cited applicable to this acquisition are: DFARS DFARS 252.225-7001, DFARS 252.225-7012, DFARS 252.225-7036, DFARS 252.227-7015, DFARS 252.227-7037, DFARS 252.243-7002, DFARS 252.204-7004, Any contract awarded as a result of this solicitation will be a DO rated order certified for national use under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) (15CFR 700). Any questions generated, as a result of this solicitation must be received no later than 10 days before the closing date. Original and two (2) copies of the Offerors proposal must be delivered to Contracting Officer, Bldg. 222, Rm. 115A, Naval Research Laboratory, Code 3220:KK 4555 Overlook Ave. S.W. Washington, DC 20375-5326, and received no later than 4:00 p.m. E.S.T. on 01 MAR 2001. The package should be marked RFP N00173-01-R-KK01, Closing Date: 01 MAR 2001. For more information regarding this solicitation contact Kevin M. King, Contract Specialist at (202) 767-1495. All responsible sources may submit a proposal, which shall be considered by the agency. Synopsis number KK02.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010130/66SOL006.HTM (W-026 SN50B9Y4)