Contract

Cryogenic Docking System

Agency: COMMERCE, DEPARTMENT OF / NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
Location: GAITHERSBURG, MD
Amount: Amount not listed
Deadline: Closes in 6 days (Jul 24, 2026)
Posted: Jul 9, 2026
Set-aside: None (open competition)
NAICS code: 334516

What this contract is for

***THIS IS A COMBINED SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE*** The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a Cryogenic Docking System for a Thermo Fisher Scientific Helios 5 UX Microscope. If no alternate sources are identified, the Government intends to issue a Sole Source Award to Thermo Fisher Scientific, 5350 NE Dawson Creek Drive, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124, under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing, with a size standard of 1,000 employees. The Material Measurement Laboratory (MML) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is involved in materials characterization efforts using atom probe tomography (APT). A particular research focus of the atom probe instrument is to study the effect of laser wavelength on semiconductor materials to characterize, quantify, and ameliorate sources of measurement bias and uncertainty, thereby improving accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility of APT measurements. This work involves three-dimensional (3D) atomic imaging of nanoscale samples in an APT instrument. Specimens for APT analysis must be in the form of a sharp needle, with an apex diameter in the range of 50 nm to 100 nm. These specimens are prepared using a dual-beam focused ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB/SEM) using Ga+ ions. It is often desirable and/or necessary to prepare specimens at cryogenic temperatures to minimize ion beam damage and heating. It may also be desirable to prepare specimens of frozen liquids or biological materials (e.g. frozen water ice, embedded proteins). Finally, it is necessary...

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