Combined SSN/NOI: Notice of Intent to Noncompetitively Acquire Tilt Stage for SEM

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking to noncompetitively acquire a tilt stage for a Zeiss Supra SEM. The tilt stage must provide dynamic control over sample orientation in all three Euler angles and must be compatible with the Zeiss Supra SEM. The stage must also have a translation axis with a resolution better than 2 nm and a rotational degree of freedom with a resolution better than 0.05 degrees. The acquisition is being conducted under the authority of RFO 12.102(a), and the NAICS code for this acquisition is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. Some key requirements of the tilt stage include: • The ability to function as a substage attachment that can be routinely installed and uninstalled from the existing microscope stage • The ability to provide sample rotation about an axis that is perpendicular to the existing tilt axis of the SEM stage • The ability to have a translation axis that is perpendicular to the sample plane (z), enabling a sample to be positioned at the eucentric height of the tilt axis • The ability to have a rotational degree of freedom to rotate the sample in the sample plane The NIST intends to award a non-competitive contract to Kleindiek, Inc. for the tilt stage, as they are the only manufacturer that can provide a stage that meets the minimum requirements.