UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO PROFILE
In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada’s technology hub, has become a leading comprehensive university with almost 40,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs.
Consistently ranked Canada’s most innovative university, Waterloo is home to advanced research and teaching in science and engineering, mathematics and computer science, health, environment, arts and social sciences. From quantum computing and nanotechnology to clinical psychology and health sciences research, Waterloo brings ideas and brilliant minds together, inspiring innovations with real impact today and in the future.
As home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, Waterloo embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research, and commercialization. With campuses and education centres on four continents, and academic partnerships spanning the globe, Waterloo is shaping the future of the planet.
Find out more about the University of Waterloo at https://uwaterloo.ca/about/who-we-are/waterloo-facts.
Background
The Scanning/Transmission Electron Microscope (S/TEM) with Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) system for which proposals are being solicited via this RFP is to be used as part of the characterization toolset in the Quantum-Nano Fabrication and Characterization Facility (QNFCF) located in the Quantum-Nano Centre at the University of Waterloo. This system is being acquired for the purposes of viewing and characterizing a wide variety of sample types, including but not limited to semiconductors, oxides, metals, novel nanomaterials and quantum device structures. It will be used to measure sample dimensions, examine interfaces, characterize defects and to acquire compositional and crystallographic information.
The Quantum-Nano Centre is one of the top research centres in Canada; it enables scientists and engineers to pursue frontier research in materials science, nanotechnology, and quantum information processing. The new S/TEM-EELS is vital to research in several key areas including quantum device development, design of new materials for batteries and the growth of quantum materials and structures.
The QNFCF incorporates ISO 4, 5 and 6 rated cleanrooms as well as Metrology lab suites which meet floor vibration criterions NIST-A and VC-E. Together these labs are geared towards servicing a wide range of nanofabrication and characterization experiments for graduate and post-graduate researchers with varying degrees of expertise and experience. The vast majority of lab systems in this facility are directly operated by lab users upon completion of equipment-specific, hands-on training programs. Therefore, all instruments in this facility, including the S/TEM-EELS that is the focus of this RFP, must be well-proven, easy to operate and well-supported, with numerous installed units operating successfully in the field. The S/TEM-EELS must be user friendly, versatile and robust, and must have proven low cost of ownership with excellent demonstrated uptime and reliability in the field.
The total budget for this acquisition is capped at $2,200,000 CAD, plus HST, as follows: $1,600,000 CAD + HST is allocated for the S/TEM system (CFI), and, $600,000 CAD + HST is allocated for the EELS system (CFREF).
This S/TEM acquisition is made possible in partnership with the Canadian Foundation for Innovation:
This Request for Proposal is issued in concert with funding in part from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), and should follow all CFI Guidelines and Policies.
This EELS acquisition is made possible in partnership with the Canada First Research Excellence Fund:
This Request for Proposal is issued in concert with the University’s contributions to our Transformative Quantum Technologies (TQT) research initiative, funded in part by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), and should follow all CFREF policies and Guidelines.
Please refer to pages 3 to 5 of the RFP document for more details about our funding.
Questions regarding this Request for Proposal may be submitted via email to the RFP Contact Person as follows:
Christine Wagner, CPPB, CSCP, Procurement Specialist, Research
Procurement and Contract Services
University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo ON N2L 5Z5
Email: cpwagner@uwaterloo.ca or, procure@uwaterloo.ca
