Cold Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope

The National Research Council of Canada is seeking the supply and installation of a single ultra-high resolution Cold Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (CFE-SEM) with stringent technical specifications, including a Cold Field Emission gun composed of a single tungsten crystal coupled with an anode heating system to enable ultra-bright, high-resolution imaging. The system must achieve secondary electron image resolution of no worse than 0.6 nm at 15 kV and 0.7 nm at 1 kV, with magnification ranging from 20x to 2,000,000x and an accelerating voltage capability from 0.5 kV to 30 kV. The vacuum system must include at least two ion getter pumps, one non-evaporative getter pump, one turbomolecular pump, and one dry roots roughing pump, maintaining vacuum levels of no greater than 1 × 10⁻⁸ Pa at the electron gun and 1 × 10⁻⁴ Pa at the specimen chamber. Additional required components include a semiconductor-type backscatter electron detector, a dedicated scanning transmission electron microscopy detector, an evacuated sample exchange airlock, and an automated five-axis motorized stage capable of accommodating samples up to 150 mm in diameter and 36 mm in height. The contractor is responsible not only for delivering and installing the new instrument but also for decommissioning and removing the existing S-4800 SEM and relocating the Ultim Max 170 EDS system to the new CFE-SEM. The equipment must be fully commissioned and operational by March 30, 2027, with delivery occurring during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, excluding statutory holidays, at the National Research Council of Canada in Building M20, Ottawa. A minimum one-year standard warranty is required. The estimated contract value is $870,000.00, excluding GST/HST. This procurement is structured as an Advance Contract Award Notice, initially targeting a pre-identified supplier, but open for qualified offers to submit a statement of capabilities demonstrating compliance with minimum essential requirements before the submission deadline of June 6, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. EST. All submissions must be directed to Tyler Hanel, Senior Contracting Officer, via email or phone.