NASA/George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Procurement Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812

66 -- AUTOPROBE CP MICROSCOPE SOL 8-1-8-EH-B9218 DUE 061398 POC Marianne R. Campbell, Contract Specialist, Phone (205) 544-6496, Fax (205) 544-9081, Email marianne.campbell@msfc.nasa.gov -- Valerie N. Holmes, Contracting Officer, Phone (205)544-0314, Fax (205)544-4400, Email valerie.holmes@msfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.nasa.gov/EPS/MSFC/date.html#8-1-8-EH-B9218. E-MAIL: Marianne R. Campbell, marianne.campbell@msfc.nasa.gov. As a result of responses received to the sole source synopsis posted on 4/28/98, amendment number 1 is issued to open this procurement on a unrestricted basis. This notice is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This procurement is being conducted under the Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP). Marshall Space Flight Center plans to procure a Autoprobe CP Microscope. The 10 specifications of the microscope are listed as follows: 1. Multiple Imaging Modes: The SPM shall have multiple mode of operations with minimal effort to change between imaging modes and that there is no probe head changes necessary. Specific mode of operations and/or measurement techniques are specified as follow: 1. Contact-mode Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM): System must be able to perform surface topography in air and liquid, with the probe tip in contact with sample. 2. Intermittent-contact mode AFM: System must be able to perform surface topography in air and liquid, with the vibrating cantilever brought closer to the sample and periodically tapping the surface during scanning to reduce and/or eliminate friction and drag forces that might damage the probe tip or sample. 3. Non-contact mode AFM: System must be able to operate in the non-contact mode for surface imaging to maintain sample integrity and preserves the cantilever tip. 4. Lateral Force Microscopy (LFM): Measured simultaneously with AFM, the system must be able to discriminates different sample materials by measuring their relative surface frictional differences through torsional deflections of the cantilever. 5. Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM): System must provide true atomic resolution on conductive samples and measure the tunneling current between probe tip and sample. STM spectroscopy data such as current, voltage and work function shall also be generated to provide information on sample s surface electronic structure. 6. Force Modulation Microscopy (FMM): System must be able to differentiate materials by their hardness in air and liquid; and phase imaging differentiation by detecting the variations in the physical properties of sample surface. 7. Phase Detection Microscopy (PDM): System must be able to detect the phase lag between the signal driving the cantilever and the detected cantilever response to provide information about the sample surface viscoelasticity. 8. Electrostatic Force Microscopy (EFM): System must utilize a digital lock-in amplifier and signal generator, low voltage from a signal access module, in conjunction with cantilever carrier for external bias of probe, cantilever mounting block, a mininum of 25 unmounted cantilevers and a test sample. The EFM operating mode must provide an AC or DC bias to the tip, creating an electrical field with spatial resolutions as low as 10 nano-meters. 9. Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM): System must be able to perform magnetic force measurement and imaging in a non-contact mode of operation on both surface and sub-surface magnetic domains and structures. 10. Imaging in Liquid: System must include a liquid cell allowing the contact-mode and intermittent-contact imaging mode to be acquired in liquid at ambient conditions. 2. On-Axis Optical Microscope: The SPM must utilize a highest quality optical microscope to assist in finding suitable areas for imaging samples via color video system. These optics shall be able to display the sample image on a standard color monitor and the optics must satisfy the following criteria: 1) On-axis high power optical system must have a maximum magnification of 3500X on a 13 inch. monitor; and a mininum field-of-view of 60 micron or less. 2) all optics must be able to resolve grating of 1micron pitch, with numerical aperture of 0.35 or greater. 3) on-axis optical system must have the 5:1 continuous zoom capability, in conjunction with both the 20X and 10X objective lens, for the optic operations. 3. Microscope Stage: The stage shall meet or exceed the following performance specifications: 1) Sample mounting stage must be as large as possible to accept sample sizes up to 50mm x 50mm x 25 mm in dimensions. 2) The tip-to-sample approach must be fully motorized and requiring minimal or no manual adjustment. 3) Stage must have motorized pitch and tilt corrections. 4) The x-y stage must have a translation range of at least 5mm x 5 mm. 4. Heads: The SPM shall have the following probe head specifications: 1) Instrument must be able to change from STM to AFM operating mode without removing head. 2) Must be able to change cantilevers without removing head. 3) Must be able to change from contact AFM to non-contact AFM of the intermittent-contact AFM mode without removing head. 4) Must be able to change from contact AFM to LFM-mode without removing head. 5. Cantilevers: The instrument shall be able to accommodate different cantilever tips without removing head. Assortment of mounted and unmounted cantilevers shall be included with the SPM system. The Square-pyramidal tipped, Silicon-Nitride Cantilever-tip assemblies and conical tipped, Silicon cantilever-tip assemblies must be pre-mounted and pre-aligned. 6. Electronics & Computer: The system electronics shall have 20-bit analog-to-digital and digital-to analog converters (DAC). A 20-bit DAC system shall offer a higher resolution over the entire scanning range than the 16-bit systems. Scanning image resolution shall always be maintained for the full-scan range. Detail technical specifications for data acquisition and image processing and/or scanning are given in section 7 (software & operating system). The computer shall meet or exceed the following performance specifications: 200 MHZ Pentium II computer with Window 95, 16 MB RAM, 2GB hard disk, 12X CD ROM, 1.44 MB floppy drive, 17 in. high-resolution color monitor. Computer must also include a Matrox video capture card for interfacing with the high power on-axis optical microscope. 7. Software & Operating System: The SPM system shall meet or exceed the following performance specifications: All SPM system functions must be fully operable with the Microsoft (MS) Windows 95 platform. Specifically, the Data Acquisition and Image Processing must be performed in Windows 95. The control software must also perform Windows multitasking abilities during data acquisition so that the user could use Windows 95 programs such as MS Word, Excel, while the data is being acquired. The operating system must also include the flexibility to export data in its native format directly into different third party data analysis software such as Image Pro. The software must also meet the following requirements: 1. Utilize MS Windows 95 interface during data acquisition. 2. Compatible with any printer having a MS windows driver. 3. Allow export of line and region measurements in standard spreadsheet format. 4. Save data acquisition and image processing and analysis recipes. 5. Provide line scan and image display simultaneously during data acquisition. 6. Generalized multi-channel spectroscopy capability. 7. Simultaneous 8 channel bi-directional data collection capability. 8. Export files easily (i.e., by a simple mouse click) as bitmap or tiff format from image processing software. 8. Scan Linearity & Piezo-control: Non-linear scan correction shall be performed in all dimensions. The SPM must provide both hardware and software corrections to compensate for the non-linearity in X and Y scan directions. For highly accurate results in Z direction, the system must provide appropriate hardware and software corrections for Z measurement as well. Specifically, the hardware correction shall have the following technical specifications: 1) A closed-loop scan correction system which utilizes optical detectors for the piezo correction in X, Y and Z. 2) System must also allow calibration of piezo parameters using external detectors. 9. Vibration Isolation Table: The vendor shall provide a high performance air vibration isolation table for the SPM. 10. Other Requirements: 1. As non-contact AFM operation mode is vital to our research, the instrument must provide for lock-in amplifier detection of cantilever oscillation of the cantilever drive amplitude. Systems that utilize averaging of drive amplitude cannot provide S/N ratio sufficient for the desired application work. 2. On-site Installation and Training. 3. Our research will require that we be able to use this new instrumentation interchangeably with our current instrumentation from Park Scientific Instruments (PSI), Inc. Therefore, this SPM system must also meet the following technical specifications: a) All system electronics must be able to interface (i.e. be exchangeable) with our pre-existing instrumentation from PSI. b) All system stage must be able to interface (i.e. be exchangable) with our pre-existing instrumentation from PSI. c) All data acquisition and image processing software must be compatible with software found on current instrumentation from PSI. The system must utilize the Hierarchical Data Format (.hdf) to facilitate easy exchange of data between this system and our current instrumentation from PSI. The provisions and clauses in the RFQ are those in effect through FAC 97-4. The SIC code and the small business size standard for this procurement are 3826 and 500, respectively. The quoter shall state in their quotation their size status for this procurement. All qualified responsible business sources may submit a quotation which shall be considered by the agency. Delivery to Marshall Space Flight Center is required within 30 days ARO. Delivery shall be FOB Destination. The DPAS rating for this procurement is DO-C9. Quotations for the items(s) described above may be mailed or faxed to the identified point of contact or bid distribution office, by the date/time specified and include, solicitation number, FOB destination to this Center, proposed delivery schedule, discount/payment terms, warranty duration (if applicable), taxpayer identification number (TIN), identification of any special commercial terms, and be signed by an authorized company representative. Quoters are encouraged to use the Standard Form 1449, Solicitation/Contract/Order for Commercial Items form found at URL: http://procure.arc.nasa.gov/Acq/Standard_Forms/Index.html to submit a quotation. Quoters shall provide the information required by FAR 52.212-1 with exception of (d), (h) and (i). If the end product(s) quoted is other than domestic end product(s) as defined in the clause entitled "Buy American Act -- Supplies," the quoter shall so state and shall list the country of origin. The Representations and Certifications required by FAR 52.2l2-3 may be obtained via the internet at URL: http://ec.msfc.nasa.gov/msfc/pub/reps_certs/sats/ FAR 52.212-4 is applicable. Addenda to FAR 52.212-4 are as follows: 52.204-4, 52.211-15, and 52.247-34. FAR 52.212-5 is applicable and the following identified clauses are incorporated by reference. 52.212-5(b): 52.222-26, 52.222-35, 52.222-36, 52.222-37, and 52.225-3. Questions regarding this acquisition must be submitted in writing no later than June 4, 1998. Quotations are due by June 11, 1998, to the address specified above and to the attention of the Bid Depository. Selection and award will be made to the lowest priced, technically acceptable quoter. Technical acceptability will be determined by information submitted by the quoter providing a description in sufficient detail to show that the product quoted meets the Government's requirement. Quoters must provide copies of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representation and Certification -- Commercial Items with their quote. See above for where to obtain the form via internet. An ombudsman has been appointed -- See Internet Note "B". It is the quoter's responsibility to monitor this site for the release of amendments (if any). Potential quoters will be responsible for downloading their own copy of this combination synopsis/solicitation and amendments (if any). (0148)

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