SOLE SOURCE REQUEST TO PURCHASE ThermoFisher Scientific Helios 5 Hydra...

Location:	Mississippi
Posted:	Jun 17, 2026
Due:	Jul 6, 2026
Agency:	State Government of Mississippi
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	66 - Instruments and Laboratory Equipment
Solicitation No:	9250-26-R-RFIN-00045
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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Mississippi State University

Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase

256-111

Mississippi State University anticipates purchasing the item(s) listed below as a

sole source purchase. Anyone objecting to this purchase shall follow the

procedures outlined below.

1. Commodity or commodities to be purchased (make, model, description):

ThermoFisher Scientific Helios 5 Hydra CX DualBeam System: Extreme High Resolution

(XHR) Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) equipped with a

switchable multiple-ion-species (Xe, Ar, O, N) inductively coupled plasma focused ion

beam (ICP-PFIB). It includes an Elstar electron column with UC+ technology, an oil-free

vacuum system, advanced auto-processing application software (AutoTEM 5, Auto Slice

& View 5), and an integrated MultiChem Gas Delivery System. It also has EDS and EBSD

attachments from EDAX that provide needed analysis capability for microstructural

characterization. Preferred Service Agreements providing 2 additional years beyond 1

year warranty of 48-hour targeted onsite labor response, unlimited labor hours, and all

necessary spare parts.

ThermoFisher Scientific Spectra 200 S/TEM: Field Emission Scanning Transmission

Electron Microscope operating across a 30–200 kV high-tension range. It is equipped

with an Ultra-High Brightness Cold Field Emission Gun (X-CFEG), a probe aberration

corrector (Cs S-CORR), a proprietary Super-X EDS detector integrated into the objective

lens, a 16-megapixel Ceta-S CMOS camera, and an EMPAD 2 (Electron Microscope

Pixelated Array Detector) for advanced 4D-STEM applications. Preferred Service

Agreements providing 2 additional years beyond 1 year warranty of 48-hour targeted

onsite labor response, unlimited labor hours, and all necessary spare parts.

2. Explanation of the need to be fulfilled by this item(s), how is it unique from all other

options, and why it is the only one that can meet the specific needs of the department:

Need:

Mississippi State University’s Institute for Imaging and Analytical Technologies was

named in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (Appropriations Act) as the

recipient of a Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending grant,

referenced as Congressionally Funded Community Project (CFCP) grant. In accordance

with the grant, MSU will acquire two advanced microscopy systems, a plasma-focused

ion beam scanning electron microscope (PFIB-SEM) and a 200 kV aberration-corrected

transmission electron microscope (AC-TEM) to support advanced materials

characterization in the Golden Triangle region. These two advanced microscopes will be

used to support local manufacturers by giving researchers powerful tools to prepare,

examine, and measure materials at the atomic level, with unique features that improve

accuracy, reduce damage, and provide detailed data not possible with other equipment.

Key unique capabilities include:

ThermoFisher Scientific Helios 5 Hydra CX DualBeam System:

• Multi-Ion Species Plasma FIB: The Helios 5 Hydra features a unique ICP-PFIB

column that can seamlessly switch between four ion species (Xenon, Argon,

Oxygen, and Nitrogen). This unique ability to select the ion source enables

preparation and analysis of large, high-quality samples with minimal damage to

the material. The Hydra platform provides multiple ion species and flexible

milling conditions that are important for complex material systems. This

capability allows researchers to study defects, grain boundaries, cracks,

precipitates, and three-dimensional microstructures with higher accuracy and

reliability. The integrated workflow also improves sample preparation for high-

resolution TEM and atom probe studies, which are essential for the proposed

characterization program. The Hydra system offers a level of versatility that

allows researchers to avoid damaging samples or creating unwanted chemical

changes. No other manufacturer offers the four ion species capability.

• Extreme High-Resolution Optics: The electron gun utilizes proprietary UC+

technology to reduce the beam energy spread below 0.2 eV, enabling sub-

nanometer resolution (0.6 nm to 1.1 nm) and high surface sensitivity at ultra-low

landing energies (down to 20 V). This capability is unique to this manufacturer.

ThermoFisher Scientific Spectra 200 S/TEM:

• EMPAD-2 Detector: The Spectra 200 features the proprietary EMPAD 2 detector,

which captures full diffraction patterns at every individual pixel at a 10 kHz

readout rate with an expansive dynamic range (>10⁷). This allows direct phase

contrast imaging, ptychography, and precise strain analysis on a single platform.

This capability is critical for strain mapping, defect characterization, precipitate

analysis, and diffraction-based metrology in complex alloy systems. The EMPAD-

2 is exclusive to this instrument and provides the measurement accuracy,

signal range, and integrated workflow needed for the proposed

characterization program.

• Mechanical & Thermal Stability: The Spectra 200 features a 300 mm diameter

column integrated inside a specialized acoustic enclosure that dampens

environmental fluctuations, enabling highly reproducible atomic-scale spatial

resolution. Its ConstantPower lens design minimizes thermal stabilization time

when switching modes, providing maximum stability regardless of lens settings.

This capability is unique to this manufacturer.

• Integrated EDS System: The Super-X EDS detector integrates an array of four

silicon drift EDS detectors directly into the objective lens, achieving a high

collection efficiency solid angle of 0.7 srad with extremely low shadowing. This

vendor offers a completely native EDS hardware and software ecosystem

delivering live drift-corrected elemental quantification at the exact speed of the

microscope scan. This capability is unique to this manufacturer.

3. Name of company/individual selling the item and why that source is the only possible

source that can provide the required item(s):

Selling Entity: FEI Company (An affiliate/part of Thermo Fisher Scientific).

Address: 5350 NE Dawson Creek Drive, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124.

Primary Contact / Account Manager: Lane Wooten, Senior Account Manager (Phone:

+1 470-277-9553 | Email: lane.wooten@thermofisher.com).

FEI Company/Thermo Fisher Scientific is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM),

developer, and sole direct distributor of the integrated platform comprising the Helios 5

Hydra CX DualBeam System and the Spectra 200 S/TEM. The core sub-systems, highly

specialized components, and unified operation software are proprietary intellectual

property exclusive to this company. Major underlying technologies embedded natively

within these systems cannot be procured anywhere else. No third-party distributors or

alternative instrumentation vendors are authorized or legally capable of supplying these

specific configurations.

4. Estimated cost of item(s) and an explanation why the amount to be expended is

considered reasonable:

Estimated Grand Total Cost: $5,186,011.

Total Value of Equipment (List Price): $11,745,479

Total Negotiated Discount Applied: $6,559,468

Through institutional negotiations with FEI Company (Thermo Fisher Scientific), the

department secured a 55.85% price reduction across the bundled package.

The standalone retail price for the Helios 5 Hydra CX system configuration sits at

$5,845,665

The standalone retail price for the Spectra 200 S/TEM system configuration sits at

$5,899,814

By capitalizing on a coordinated "Two Tool Bundle" procurement protocol, the

university is successfully acquiring $11,745,479 worth of state-of-the-art

instrumentation for $5,186,011 saving the university over $6.5 million in capital

equipment outlays.

This bundle includes advanced application software packages including AutoTEM 5,

Autoscript, Auto Slice and View 5, Maps3 and Avizo that traditionally command steep

individual licensing fees.

Additionally, the quote includes Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for both

instruments to protect the instrument against power surges and outages.

The cost includes Preferred Service Agreements for both standalone platforms

extending for 2 full years past the baseline 1 year factory warranty. This tier provides 4-

hour targeted phone triage, a strict 48-hour targeted on-site engineering labor arrival,

comprehensive coverage of all factory-certified spare parts, annual preventative

maintenance interventions, and free functional software updates.

5. Explanation of the efforts taken by the department to determine whether this is the

only source and the efforts used to obtain the best possible price:

The Institute for Imaging and Analytical Technologies (I2AT) is a university-wide research

institute and core facility which meets MSU's missions in research, teaching, and service.

I2AT houses major research instrumentation that is available to the entire university,

industry partners, and other universities across the state.

The department conducted a thorough, multi-phase technical evaluation of the electron

microscopy market to identify platforms capable of supporting our advanced material

characterization needs. This involved evaluating technical specifications, product

portfolios, and demos from major global manufacturers of high-end electron

microscopes (specifically JEOL, TESCAN, and Hitachi).

The market screening proved that alternative platforms fail to meet the department's

operational needs for the following reasons:

FIB Limitations: Alternative vendors (such as TESCAN and JEOL) only offer single-species

plasma focused ion beams (typically Xenon-only). Thermo Fisher Scientific Helios 5

Hydra CX stands uniquely alone with its patented Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP)

column that switches between four distinct gases (Xenon, Argon, Oxygen, and

Nitrogen) via software control in under 10 minutes. The multi-ion species provides

researchers with the ability to optimize milling rates and minimize damage across

complex multilayer materials. While alternative market configurations may attempt to

supplement a baseline Xenon system with a separate, auxiliary Argon ion gun

attachment, such workarounds fail to meet our technical requirements. A secondary

hardware attachment lacks the nanometer-scale focus, spatial resolution, and optical

alignment of a primary column, making it incapable of site-specific, automated TEM

lamella preparation required for our sensitive multi-material workflows. Without this

feature, structural artifacts, phase transformations, and severe curtaining or

amorphization may occur at the delicate material interfaces of sensitive polymers, light

alloys, biological and energy storage materials. Such degradation is unacceptable for

data-integrity reasons, as it obscures the true atomic scale boundaries of the samples,

compromising the subsequent S/TEM strain-mapping and ptychography data, ultimately

impairing active federally funded research deliverables.

S/TEM Limitations: To conduct atomic-scale strain mapping and ptychography, the

department requires a high-dynamic-range pixelated direct electron detector that

natively bridges the microscope’s automation scripts. Competing TEM manufacturers

must source third-party aftermarket detectors (such as Gatan or Quantum Detectors)

that run on disconnected software and suffer from severe pixel saturation under

standard analytical beam currents. The proprietary EMPAD 2 detector included on the

Spectra 200 platform operates continuously at a true 10 kHz frame rate with a large

dynamic range (>107) that handles intense unscattered beams safely, natively

embedded within the core Velox control software.

Additionally, in a multi-user core facility, competing systems suffer from substantial

thermal drift and 30–60 minutes of stabilization downtime whenever users switch

settings (High Tension and probe current) for atomic-resolution imaging. The Spectra

200 eliminates this bottleneck via a factory-integrated acoustic enclosure and

proprietary ConstantPower™ lenses that maintain a perfectly flat thermal profile. This

eliminates user-to-user stabilization delays, maximizing facility throughput with

immediate, highly reproducible atomic-scale resolution.

To ensure the best possible value to the University, the department conducted a

comprehensive evaluation of available PFIB and S/TEM systems from the major

manufacturers capable of serving this application. The evaluation included a review of

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Smart Number	9250-26-R-RFIN-00045	Advertised Date	06/17/2026 12:00 AM
RFx #	3150006891	Submission Date	07/06/2026 12:00 AM
RFx Status	Open	Major Procurement Category	COMMODITIES
RFx Opening Date	07/06/2026 12:00 AM	Sub Procurement Category	EQUIPMENT - TECHNOLOGY
RFx Type	Req. for Information
Agency	MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY
RFx Description	SOLE SOURCE REQUEST TO PURCHASE ThermoFisher Scientific Helios 5 Hydra CX DualBeam System: Extreme High Resolution (XHR) Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) equipped with a switchable multiple-ion-species (Xe, Ar, O, N) inductively couple

PRODUCT CATEGORY	PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
49043	Lab Eqpmt-Lab & Scie

Name	Debra Raines	Email	draines@procurement.msstate.edu
Phone		Fax

SOLE SOURCE REQUEST TO PURCHASE ThermoFisher Scientific Helios 5 Hydra CX DualBeam System: Extreme High Resolution (XHR) Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) equipped with a switchable multiple-ion-species (Xe, Ar, O, N)

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See also