Ion microscopes

Tender description

University of Edinburgh invites competitive tenders for the supply of a Focused Ion Beam/Scanning Electron Microscope with EDX Detector, Cryo-Stage and TEM Cryo Transfer. Bidders must self-certify their adherence to selection and exclusion criteria via the ESPD (Scotland) on PCS-T.Suppliers may be required to submit Means of Proof at a later stage. When completing the ESPD, bidders musthave regard for the specific selection requirements detailed in Sections III of this OJEU Notice. This procurement is for supply, installation, initial training and technical services in relation to a cryogenic Dual-Beam Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron microscope (cryo-FIB-SEM). We intend to procure this equipment in order to establish a multi-user facility focused on the 3D imaging of soft materials, hard materials, soft-hard composites and complex fluids in their native (wet) state. This system will be used by researchers across physics, chemistry and engineering to image and characterise a diverse array of materials, including traditional soft materials (e.g. colloidal suspensions, emulsions, surfactants and polymers), biological systems, hard materials (e.g. diamond anvil cells) and soft/hard composites (e.g. organic-inorganic composites and ice-rubbed interfaces). Cryo-preparation facilities will be used to manipulate and fracture frozen specimens in order to expose internal interfaces and coat specimens to enable high-resolution imaging. Additional detectors will enable elemental analysis (EDX) and crystallographic orientation (EBSD), enhancing our abilities to characterise the composition and interfacial properties of complex, multi-component materials. The microscope will be capable of imaging both conductive and non-conductive specimens. Using the FIB, one will also be able to cut a thin lamella from a specimen and transfer it to a transmission electron microscope (TEM)/cryoTEM grid using a pair of micromanipulators for high-resolution TEM/cryoTEM analysis (atomic resolution). The high-resolution TEM mentioned here is an existing piece of equipment and not part of this tender. The microscope will be equipped with a cryo-stage that will enable the observation of frozen specimens at -170 ºC or lower. This will allow the study of naturally hydrated specimens such as supramolecular assemblies of polymers, biological materials such as cells and tissues, emulsions and organic-inorganic composite materials in their native, hydrated state. The cryo-FIB-SEM will be used to slice the specimens in situ to reveal the internal structures and interfaces of an opaque, hydrated soft material, which is not possible with a conventional FIB-SEM. A cryo-preparation chamber will be used to freeze-fracture, freeze-etch and sputter-coat samples for cryo-FIB-SEM. This procurement is divided into 4 lots. As per Lot 1. As per Lot 1. As per Lot 1.