CHIPS XAFS and Diffraction, Silicon Drift Detector

The Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology awarded a sole source contract to Dectris AG for the procurement of two advanced commercial laboratory X-ray detectors. The acquisition, valued at an estimated 760,000 dollars, includes one high-resolution strip detector and one large-area photon-counting detector. These instruments are designated for the NIST Beamline for Materials Measurement facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, where they will support semiconductor research by enhancing X-ray absorption spectroscopy and diffraction capabilities. The award was conducted on a noncompetitive basis under 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1) and simplified acquisition procedures for commercial products. Dectris AG was identified as the only source capable of meeting stringent technical specifications, including specific photon count rates and energy threshold ranges between 3.5 and 40 keV. Extensive market research, including a SAM.gov sources sought notice and a request for information, confirmed that no other vendors could provide the required photon-counting pixel detectors and energy discrimination thresholds necessary for the facility's operations.