The Department of Commerce, specifically the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is seeking sources for a compact Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) intended for use in conjunction with a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). This procurement is part of the CHIPS Act initiative aimed at enhancing metrology research and development to support semiconductor manufacturing, with a focus on improving device reliability through advanced measurement technologies. The AFM will facilitate live imaging and analysis of two-dimensional materials, crucial for understanding device performance and failure mechanisms, thereby streamlining the fabrication and optimization processes for next-generation semiconductor devices. Interested vendors should contact Cielo Ibarra at cielo.ibarra@nist.gov and submit their responses by the specified deadlines, ensuring they include relevant company information and capabilities.

NIST-SS26-CHIPS-34

**PLEASE NOTE THIS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY**

Title:  Atomic Force Microscope for use in a Scanning Electron Microscope

**BACKGROUND**

As part of the CHIPS Act, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are engaged in metrology research and development to promote innovation and industrial competitiveness in U.S. semiconductor device manufacturing. NIST has identified seven Grand Challenges in metrology research and development that require critical attention. As part of efforts to advance metrology tools and measurement science for Metrology for Materials Purity, Properties, and Provenance (Grand Challenge 1), NIST requires instruments for measurement of semiconductor microelectronic devices and their constituent materials.

Pursuant to the CHIPS mission, the Grand Challenge 1 Program’s strategy is to develop measurement technologies, properties data, and standards focused on defect and contaminant identification to support uniform materials quality and traceability across the supply chain. One effort within this program aims to evaluate two-dimensional and wide bandgap materials to improve device reliability. This work is led by NIST’s Applied Chemicals and Materials Division, which characterizes and measures properties and structures relevant to industrially important materials.

The requested equipment comprises a compact atomic force microscope (AFM) that can be used inside and outside a scanning electron microscope (SEM) for the CHIPS Metrology 1.01 project “Evaluation of 2D and Wide Band Gap Material Quality: Towards Device Reliability.”    This equipment will enable live correlative imaging of 2-dimensional (2D) materials/devices in concert with numerous pertinent analytical modes at single- to sub-nanometer spatial resolution as the materials/devices degrade under electronic and other applied stresses.  The equipment will be used to quantify material/device performance, inform optimization efforts from material synthesis methods to device fabrication and performance.

This equipment is critical to meeting the project objectives by providing information about devices under test including device failure initiation and progression as well as simultaneous changes in electrical and mechanical performance that can reveal failure mechanism root causes.  This combined SEM-AFM capability will enable grain orientation of 2D materials to be quantified without removing the material from a substrate (i.e., in a nondestructive manner), which is highly desirable throughout the semiconductor R&D industry.  Moreover, when combined, these techniques have the potential to significantly streamline material/device fabrication, optimization, *and* reliability measurements for next generation 2D materials-based devices.  It is critical that this purchase occur as soon as possible due to our collaboration with Intel R&D who are beginning to implement device optimization strategies, one of which involves grain orientation-based transport properties.

The work required under this contract is to supply, install, and provide introductory training to users on a compact AFM for use in an SEM for the Applied Chemicals and Materials Division. The Contractor shall deliver AFM instrumentation capable of being used both inside and outside an SEM, that includes all appropriate electrical interconnects and cabling, vacuum feedthroughs, control units, SEM adapter plate(s), probe holders and probes for measuring mechanical, electrical, electro-mechanical, and magnetic properties, software module activations to enable those measurements, an enclosure with camera and cabling to enable AFM measurements outside an SEM, inclusive of FOB destination delivery, installation, warranty and training, and option line items, if applicable.

These are the minimum requirements are as follows:

**Line Item 0001:**

**Description:  Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)**

**Quantity:  1**

1. **Technical Specifications**
   1. An atomic force microscope scan head capable of operating in an SEM vacuum chamber and at atmospheric pressure, with automatic multidimensional correlative imaging enabling simultaneous acquisition of AFM and SEM data.  The AFM measuring head shall be compatible with, and interchangeable among SEMs from different vendors (as specified below) without SEM modification.  The AFM shall be capable of operational modes that provide mechanical, electrical, electro-mechanical, and magnetic property measurements as described below.  Additional specifications include:
      1. AFM scan range shall be larger than (x, y, z) = (75, 75, 10) mm for open and closed loop operation modes with spatial resolution at least (x, y, z) = (0.2, 0.2, 0.05) nm.
      2. Shall accommodate samples having dimensions up to (x, y) = (50, 50) mm and height z = 8 mm.
      3. Shall include electrical feedthroughs for:
         1. Zeiss Gemini 300 VP SEM and
         2. Thermo Fisher Scios 2 Dual Beam FIB-SEM
      4. Shall include SEM stage adaptors for:
         1. Zeiss Gemini 300 VP SEM and
         2. Thermo Fisher Scios 2 Dual Beam FIB-SEM
      5. Probe holder(s) for all measurement modes compatible with the instrument described in this SoW.
      6. Tools required to mount and dismount the scan head from SEM stage(s).
   2. A Control Unit to operate the AFM scan head and interface with the user and SEM:
      1. Power supply shall be configured for 110 V operation.
      2. Shall enable 125 MHz minimum sampling frequency
      3. Shall provide two (2) lock-in amplifiers with DC range up to 2 MHz
      4. Shall provide at least five (5) auxiliary analog input channels.
      5. Shall provide analog signal outputs for preamplifier, sample bias, current.
      6. Shall include port for communication with PC via Ethernet LAN.
      7. Control unit shall be accessible and programmable through ethernet connection.
      8. Control software shall be included for all standard and optional AFM modes included in these specifications.
      9. Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) / Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM) module shall be activated.
      10. Scanning Spreading Resistance Microscopy module shall be activated.
      11. Shall include software user interface for controlling measurement parameters and measurements, drift correction, basic post-processing of acquired data.

1. 1. Accessories
      1. An enclosure for using the AFM scan head at ambient pressure outside the SEM that also enables using the AFM in various controlled gas atmospheres (i.e., N2, Ar, etc.).  The enclosure shall include passive mechanical damping.
      2. A digital camera with a stand to enable locating sample features of interest to be analyzed by the AFM in the ambient pressure enclosure indicated above.
      3. Cable adapter and appropriate cabling for use with the ambient pressure enclosure to connect the scan head to the controller.
      4. A sample rotation module that enables multiple samples to be mounted simultaneously and rotated into position for analysis with the scan head.
      5. The following test reference samples shall be included:
         1. A test reference sample for calibration of KPFM mode (i.e., a sample consisting of arrays of aluminum and gold lines of different pitch deposited on oxide-covered silicon).
         2. A test reference sample for calibration/optimization of PFM mode.
         3. A test reference sample for phase imaging, energy dissipation, and F-z modes.
         4. A test reference sample for magnetic force microscopy (MFM)
         5. Calibration grating for topography and image correlation.
      6. Probe sets including
         1. Ten (10) sets (1 set = 10 probes) of Akiyama self-sensing and self-activating probes.  Shall be compatible with the scan head and include appropriate probe holder.
         2. Ten (10) sets (1 set = 10 probes) of probes for conductive AFM measurements.  Shall be compatible with the scan head and include appropriate probe holder for conductive AFM measurements.
         3. Ten (10) sets (1 set = 6 probes) of piezo-resistive sensing active probes for piezo-resistance AFM measurements.  Shall be compatible with the scan head and include appropriate holder for PFM measurements.
         4. Ten (10) sets (1 set = 10 probes) of probes for magnetic force microscopy (MFM) measurements.  Shall be compatible with the scan head and include appropriate holder for MFM measurements.
   2. Training
      1. The contractor shall provide basic training comprising one and a half (1) day of initial training that includes device installation, probe and sample preparation, software setup, basic measurements of tapping mode topography, energy dissipation, AFM-SEM image correlation
      2. The contractor shall provide a half day (0.5 day) training on the conductive AFM (cAFM) operation mode including methods used to record and display current-voltage (I-V) measurements/curves.
   3. Acceptance
      1. Site acceptance: At the NIST site the contractor shall acquire data with each module on contractor supplied test specimens.
      2. The contractor shall provide personnel that meet government requirements to be on site for site acceptance.
   4. Safety
      1. All components supplied by the contractor shall meet industry standards for safety, including those related to electrical components, mechanical components, and optical components.

**Line Item 0002:  Warranty**

The contractor shall warranty the entire system for a period of a minimum of 1 year and shall be in accordance with terms in FAR 52.212-4. Warranty shall commence upon acceptance of the system by the Government and at a minimum shall include return-to-vendor service.  Warranty does not apply to consumable parts or normal wear and tear.

**HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE**

In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response.  Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed at the bottom of this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice.

•           Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).

•           Details about what your company is capable of providing that meets or exceeds NIST’s minimum requirements.

•           Whether your company is an authorized reseller of the product or service being cited and evidence of such authorization.

•           Identify any aspects of the description of the requirements in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or create unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your firm’s ability to fully participate in a procurement for such services and explain why.  Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses.

•           For the NAICS code

o          Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business.  See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.

o          If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement.

•           If your firm has existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts for products or services against which the Department may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.

•           Describe your firm’s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the products or services described in Background section.

•           Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for the Government to know as part of its market research for this requirement.

•           Please let us know if you would like to engage to get a better understanding of the requirement or need additional information about the Government’s requirement for the products or services described in the Background section.

**QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE**

Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 17, 2025.  Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline.

**IMPORTANT NOTES**

The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that the NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future.

This notice should not be construed as a commitment by the NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract.

This notice is not a request for a quotation. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations.

No award will be made as a result of this notice.

NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.

NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate.

Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request.

Atomic Force Microscope for use in a Scanning Electron Microscope

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