# Licensing Opportunity: Real-Time, Rapid and Noninvasive Atomic Lock-On in the Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope

Canonical: https://abierto.us/opportunities/20240911a

- Solicitation number: 2024-09-11_A
- Notice type: Special notice
- Status: Closed. Deadline was October 26, 2024 at 5:00 PM EDT
- Department: Department of Energy
- Contracting office: ORNL Ut-Battelle LLC-DOE Contractor (899042)
- Place of performance: Oak Ridge, Tennessee
- County: Anderson County (FIPS 47001). https://abierto.us/counties/anderson-county-tn-47001
- City: Oak Ridge. https://abierto.us/cities/oak-ridge-tn-4755120
- First posted: September 11, 2024
- Last posted: September 11, 2024
- SAM.gov: https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/7f3f18cefc474c9984c21e0e64ef2b43/view

## Description

**Invention Reference Number:** 202305494 The scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) provides unprecedented spatial resolution and is critical for many applications, primarily for imaging matter at the atomic and nanoscales and obtaining spectroscopic information at similar length scales. Precise placement of the electron probe at a known position (e.g., specific atom) in a material is currently not feasible without a large amount of electron dose.

This technology is a procedure that allows for ultra-precise and non-invasive “atomic lock-on” in real-time with a STEM. Description This technology is a procedure that allows for ultra-precise “atomic lock-on” in real time in a STEM. The “lock-on” refers to the process of obtaining the atomic lattice information from a special non-invasive and low dose electron beam scan pattern that can be used for targeting individual atoms or bonds.

Current beam scanning with the instrument produces an image of hundreds or tens of atoms at a time. But this scan allows the operator to target and lock on to one individual atom non-invasively in a reliable, precise way, to precision below 20 picometers, well below bond distances between atoms. A custom external scan controller allows this unprecedented precision via the lock-on technique, and allows information to be retrieved in milliseconds. The scan itself is very fast, about 100 milliseconds.

Benefits Non-invasive Fast Integrable Highly precise Automates beam experiments and removes human operator and potential errors Applications and Industries Semiconductor manufacturing Materials research Contact To learn more about this technology, email partnerships@ornl.gov or call 865-574-1051.

## Publications

- September 11, 2024: Special notice, due October 26, 2024 at 5:00 PM EDT. Notice 7f3f18cefc474c9984c21e0e64ef2b43. https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/7f3f18cefc474c9984c21e0e64ef2b43/view

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Source: SAM.gov Contract Opportunities bulk extract. Confirm deadlines on SAM.gov before responding. Cite https://abierto.us/opportunities/20240911a.