66 -- INSTRUMENTS & LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

Notice Date

May 3, 2001

Contracting Office

Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road,Mail Stop 285, Menlo Park, CA 94025-3591

ZIP Code

94025-3591

Solicitation Number

99-7420-2133

Response Due

May 18, 2001

Point of Contact

Ann Margrave (650)329-4132

E-Mail Address

amargrave@usgs.gov (amargrave@usgs.gov)

Description

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) (Geologic Division, Earthquake Hazards Team) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Gatan, (formally Oxford Instruments) 5933 Coronado Lane, Pleasanton, CA for the following items: 1) Oxford ALTO 2100 -- SEM cryostage and transfer system. 2) Oxford ALTO 2100INS -- Installation and training (approx. 2 days on site). This temperature-controlled SEMcryosystem is intended for use with the LEO 982 Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) currently in service on the Menlo Park campus. It is important to note that the USGS SEM has a large (nonstandard) wafer chamber. The USGS scientists are actively involved in the research and measurement of the material properties of icy minerals, alloys, hydrates, and ice/rock mixtures at physical conditions applicable to both Earth and outer-solar-system environments. Most of these materials have very low melting temperatures and hence require careful thermal monitoring during preparation, handling, and analysis procedures to avoid surface damage, contamination, or outright melting. Imaging of the grain textures within these samples is necessary for the proper interpretation of test measurements made upon them. Such visual analysis cannot be performed by standard optical microscopy techniques due to insufficient resolution, the low optical relief of many of the ice phases, difficulties in preparing suitable thin sections of ices at cryogenic temperatures, and the high surface scattering encountered when using reflection microscopy techniques. SEM imaging of freshly fractured or etched sample surfaces offers optimal results, but our FE-SEM on campus is not currently outfitted for low-temperature work. We therefore require a full cryosystem that can be attached to the USGS FE-SEM to permit low-temperature loading, preparation, and imaging of already-frozen sample material. Such procurement will permit high-resolution imaging and digital archiving of grain morphology, phase distribution and articulation, and/or deformation microstructures of not only all ice and hydrate-bearing sample material under current investigation, but also of many important test specimens from the nearly 500 deformation tests conducted by the research group over the past two decades. Such cryo-capabilities should also be of considerable interest to other scientists with interest in SEM imaging and analysis of biological test specimens that require special handling and preparation at cold temperatures. THIS NOTICE IF FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. Information will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Determination to compete this requirement is solely within the discretion of the Government; no additional synopsis will be published. Point of contact: A Margrave (650)329-4132 e-mail (amargrave@usgs.gov). Delivery date by 9/1/01.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010507/66SOL004.HTM (W-123 SN50L1Q7)