National Institute of Standards and Technology, Acquisition and Assistance Division, Building 301, Room Bll7, Gaithersburg, MD 20899

66 -- UPGRADE S-4000-S FESEM TO A HITACHI S-4500-II FESEM INSTRUMENT SOL 52SBNB5C8620 DUE 030995 POC Kathleen Lettofsky (301) 975-6342/C.O.: Ruth Ann Maris The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis under the authority of 41 USC 253(c)(1) a procurement from Hitachi Scientific Instruments, Gaithersburg, MD. NIST has a requirement for the upgrading of the NIST Hitachi S-4000-s FESEM to a Hitachi S-4500-II FESEM instrument at a cost of approximately $120,000. The upgrading of capabilities for the instrument must provide: 1) secondary electron image resolution guaranteed at 1.5nm or better at 15kV (or higher) accelerating voltage and 4.0nm or better at 1 kV accelerating voltage on samples as large as 6''; 2) the instrument must be equipped with both annular and conventional type secondary electron detectors. Secondary electron collection must be annular with inherent filtering and elimination of SE-3 and SE-4 signals from upper detector; 3) the electron source must be a cold cathode field emission gun (at the time of an emitter change, only the emitter itself will be replaced, leaving the properly conditioned and functional gun chamber and associated parts); 4) the accelerating voltage must be selectable from 0.5kV to 30kV in 100 volts steps over the entire range; 5) the emission current must be continously adjustable between 5 microamperes and 50 microamperes (in 1 microampere steps) through a computer-based system menu from the operator's control console. This feature must alter the resultant probe current independently of spot size and no instrument realignment must be required to retain optimum performance; 6) the final lens aperture must be a heated strip-type for prolonged life and performance with 5 click-stop openings that are selectable and adjustable from outside the vacuum environment and must be able to be changed repeatedly during operation for use of different size apertures for different applications. The final aperture must be electronically memorized by the system for every accelerating voltage selection; 7) the electron beam must be automatically diverted from the specimen whenever a live image is not displayed for inherently low dose conditions and sample protection; 8) a specimen exchange airlock must be standard and be pumped by pressure, not by time for time for fast evacuation and fail-safe operation in the case of vacuum leaks or excessively wet samples so that the main chanber environment cannot be inadvertently disrupted. Samples as large as 6'' in diameter must be insertable throught the airlock; 9) a typical specimen exchange through the specimen airlock must be accomplished in less than 45 seconds. Once a sample is inserted into the main specimen chamber, a live image must be presentable within 30 seconds; 10) the system must provide, as standard, a digital display at true TV rate of all modes of imaging through a digital frame buffer system on both viewing displays. This TV rate signal must be standard and compatible with common TV-rate accessories such as VCRs, TV monitors, thermal printers, etc., and the SEM's display monitors must be able to playback signals from these and other like systems such as infrared chamberscopes. Memory photography and storage of frozen and/or processed images must be available at 1024 x 1024 pixel resolution; 11) an optional frame memory must be removed from the current instrument and be installed in the new instrument so that both viewing displays may be configured to operate as independent full-page or 4-division RAM memories; 12) the removable magneto-optical disk drive must be removed from the current instrument and installed in the new instrument. This drive is for available mass storage and recall of at least 110 1024 x 1024 images per disk. The optical image drive must be capable of multiple SCSI host adaptor operation so that most computers can access it as a local drive; 13) the integrated Critical Dimension/Linewidth measurement software must be available on the new instrument or removed from the previous instrument; 14) optional RS-232 interface must be removed from the previous instrument and installed in the new instrument; 15) following a change in any system parameters, the system must be able to be completely aligned for optimum operation in less than one minute without the need for the operator to leave a seated position in front of the instrument. Any mechanical alignment should be operator-performable; 16) the system shall require no interlock or fail-safe mechanisms on retraction devices for detectors of any type. 17) baking of the optical column must be performable by the operator without the requirement of the service engineer. An inner-anode baking heater must be inherent in the column to cleanse this sensitive area from within for efficient maintenance of long term performance; 18) the stage Z (vertical) motion must be continuously adjustable allowing the image to be focused by raising or lowering the sample in the chamber until it coincides with the electron beam focal point; 19) the specially designed NIST anti-contamination liquid nitrogen cold trap will be removed from the old instrument and installed in the new instrument. The specimen chamber must be pumped by the high vacuum pump directly through the base of the chamber, with the pump manifolded in immediate proximity to the chamber, not through any additional length of piping. The dry nitrogen purge system will be removed from the instrument and installed in the new instrument; 20) any ion pumps above the chamber must pump three independent sections of the optical column to maximize the differential stability and isolate these areas from vacuum disturbances lower in the system; 21) the guaranteed resolution must be demonstratable throughtout its lifetime, especailly after replacement of the emitter source; 21) the system must be capable of immediate recovery from catastrophic power failure with no loss (permanent or temporary) of performance. Interested offerors may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirements by submitting a capability statement. The capability statement must provide adequate information and qualifications to provide this type of upgrade. All of the above must be received for the Government to consider whether to open this requirement for competition. This notice of intent is not a requirement for competitive proposals. However, all ''capability statements'' received within 45 days after date of preparation of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A solicitation is not available. See Numbered Note 22. (0024)

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