26-010 Thermal Evaporation Thin Film Deposition System

Troy University is soliciting bids for a thermal evaporation thin film deposition system. The system will be used for teaching and research applications in the Department of Chemistry and Physics and the Electrical and Electronics Engineering program. The university is seeking a research-grade system with a vacuum process chamber, high-vacuum pumping package, thermal evaporation sources, substrate fixture, deposition shutters, film-thickness monitoring/control, and control computer or integrated controller. The system must meet the following minimum specifications: 1. General System Configuration: * One thermal evaporation thin film deposition system with vacuum process chamber and high-vacuum pumping package. * System must be suitable for deposition of common contact metals. * System must support deposition thicknesses from 20 nm to 150 nm. 2. Process Chamber and Vacuum System: * Process chamber must be stainless steel or equivalent high-vacuum compatible material. * Process chamber must provide sufficient internal working volume for thermal source-to-substrate spacing. * System must include a high-vacuum pump package capable of reaching a clean, conditioned base pressure of 5 x 10^-7 Torr or lower. 3. Thermal Evaporation Sources and Power Supplies: * System must include at least two thermal evaporation sources for sequential deposition without breaking vacuum. * Each thermal source must include a dedicated or source-specific shutter. * Thermal source power supply must provide at least 2 kW output power. 4. Substrate Fixture, Mask Compatibility, and Uniformity: * Substrate fixture must include motorized substrate rotation with adjustable rotation speed. * Substrate holder/fixture must accommodate a clear usable circular area of at least 5 inches in diameter. * System must include a substrate shutter or equivalent shielding mechanism. 5. Thickness Monitoring, Rate Control, and Software: * System must include quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) or comparable thin-film thickness monitor. * System must include deposition controller or software capable of closed-loop or feedback-based rate/thickness control. 6. Safety, Utilities, and Compliance: * System must include emergency off/emergency stop protection and appropriate safety interlocks. * System must comply with applicable U.S. electrical and industrial machinery safety practices. 7. Installation, Training, Warranty, and Documentation: * Vendor must provide on-site installation and system startup. * Vendor must provide on-site training for faculty, staff, and student users. * Vendor must provide user manuals, maintenance manuals, safety documentation, software documentation, and utility requirements. * The instrument must carry a minimum one-year warranty beginning after installation and acceptance. Bidders must submit their proposals by June 18, 2026, at 2:00 PM CST. The university reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive all formalities if it is deemed in the best interest of the university to do so. The awarded vendor will be required to provide a performance bond for 10% of the contract amount. The bid package must include the following: * A signed bid response form * A completed W-9 form * A vendor disclosure statement * An affidavit of Alabama immigration law compliance * A bid bond, if applicable * A performance bond, if awarded All bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope with the bid number, time, and opening date clearly marked on the outside. The bid quote must be valid for a minimum of 90 days from the date of submission.