Combined Sources Sought/Notice of Intent to Sole Source: Scanning electron microscope computer upgrade

THIS IS A COMBINED SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE

Announcement Number: NIST-SS26-CHIPS-115

Subject: Notice of Intent to Noncompetitively Acquire Scanning Electron Microscope Computer Upgrade

This notice is not a request for a quotation. A solicitation document will not be issued, and quotations will not be requested.

This acquisition is being conducted under the authority of RFO 12.102(a). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing.

NIST intends to award a non-competitive contract to Carl Zeiss Microscopy for a scanning electron microscope computer upgrade to regain functionality of NIST’s Zeiss Supra SEM.

BACKGROUND

The semiconductor supply chain is global, specialized, and interconnected. Chipmakers do business with thousands of individual suppliers that provide the highly complex materials and tools used to produce semiconductors. To address the lack of full visibility into the semiconductors markets supply chain and R&D ecosystem gaps NIST will conduct the measurement science, or metrology, critical to the development of new materials, packaging, and production methods in chip manufacturing. 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division (MND) develops integrated microsystems by advancing the state of the art in nanofabrication, enabling the transfer of NIST measurement technologies to the industrial, academic, and government communities.

The MND owns a Zeiss Supra scanning electron microscope that serves CHIPS Metrology projects GC6.01 – Universal Microscopy Standards and GC4.01 – Advancing Power Electronics with Defect Metrology. To meet mission-critical requirements, the MND needs to procure a new workstation to replace the failed workstation that controls the Zeiss Supra SEM. This acquisition will provide the Division and CHIPS Metrology with essential capabilities for calibration and measurement method development, assessment of nanofabrication processes, characterization of microscopy standards, and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy.

The microscale acoustic resonators used in this project will operate in the range of 1 GHz to 1.8 GHz because this provide the necessary measurement bandwidth to observe ALD process dynamics. As a result, a lock-in amplifier that matches with the resonance frequencies of the sensors is needed. The pairing of the lock-in amplifier with our custom microwave acoustic resonators will provide unprecedented measurement clarity and time resolution, making the approach invaluable for future ALD process development. Fabrication of the microwave acoustic resonators will be completed within the second quarter of FY26. The lock-in amplifier must be purchased in FY26 to meet the milestone of demonstrating of our new measurement method by the end of FY26.

 The minimum requirements are outlined below.

Line Item 0001:

Description:  Workstation for Zeiss Supra SEM

Quantity:  1

1. Technical Specifications
   1. Must successfully regain functionality/control of our Zeiss Supra SEM (serial number 3041).
   2. Must be configured to include all the necessary hardware and software to successfully regain functionality/control of our Zeiss Supra SEM.
   3. Must be factory vetted and tested prior to delivery to ensure that it is capable of successfully regaining functionality/control of our Zeiss Supra SEM.

NIST requires a replacement workstation control unit for a Zeiss Supra scanning electron microscope (SEM).  Control of this SEM is required to develop calibrations methods for SEM, provide measurement feedback for fabrication process development ,and to characterize microscopy standards. Replacing the workstation that controls the Zeiss Supra SEM is necessary because the current workstation recently failed and no longer functions.  This workstation cannot be repaired by Zeiss due to a lack of available parts. The only way to regain functionality is to replace the workstation.

Only Carl Zeiss Microscopy can provide a workstation control unit that: a.) has been configured with the necessary software and hardware to control a Zeiss Supra SEM and b.) has been vetted and tested to perform this role.  Carl Zeiss Microscopy is the only company that manufactures the hardware and software compatible with and necessary to operate a Zeiss Supra SEM. This is particularly the case for the Zeiss Supra SEM, which requires legacy hardware due to its age. Carl Zeiss Microscopy does not have any authorized resellers for this product.

NIST conducted market research in December 2025 by conducting online searches and discussions with sources to determine what sources could meet NIST’s minimum requirements.  The results of that market research revealed that only Carl Zeiss Microscopy, One North Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601, United States, UEI: H41JAKKNEXY1 appears to be capable of meeting NIST’s requirements.

HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE

In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Include only the following information provided below.  Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact no later than 1/7/25, 5:00pm ET.

1. Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).
2. Details about what your company is capable of providing that meets or exceeds NIST’s minimum requirements (Capability Statement).
3. Whether your company is an authorized reseller of the product or service being cited and evidence of such authorization.
4. Identify any aspects of the description of the requirements in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or create unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your company’s ability to provide a technically acceptable product.    Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses.
5. For the NAICS code
   1. Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business.  See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.
   2. If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement. 
6.  your firm has existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts for products or services against which the Department may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.
7. Describe your company’s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the products or services described in Background section.
8. Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for the Government to know as part of its market research for this requirement.
9. Contact the primary and/or secondary point of contact (provided below) if you would like to engage in discussions to gain a better understanding of the requirement or need additional information about the Government’s requirement for the products or services described in the Background section (provided above).

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE

Questions regarding this notice must be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact. Questions must be submitted so that they are received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on 4/30/26 to receive a government response prior to the close of this notice. Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline.

IMPORTANT NOTES

1. The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that the NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future. 
2. This notice should not be construed as a commitment by the NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. 
3. This notice is not a request for a quotation. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations.
4. No award will be made as a result of this notice. 
5. NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.
6. NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate.