Testimonials

RBD's customers include world-leading research centers, universities, and manufacturers.
Here's what they have to say.

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  • "We have two PHI 5600 systems in our research group, and unfortunately, both had been neglected for the better part of two decades. This has posed a significant barrier to even begin collecting data and performing research as we had no knowledge of the system or where to begin the troubleshooting process.
    Using blog posts, and with Randy Dellwo's guidance and expertise (from his time building the original PHI systems), complemented with a great deal of tenacity, we have been able to refurbish the systems to their original glory. All current students, as well as those to come, can thank Randy and RBD for helping breathe life into our work."

    Brennan Coffey - University Texas Austin
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  • "I want to let you know that we (all surface scientists/physical chemists in our lab) all love RBD, and you're the first place we look when we need surface analysis equipment."

    Sean Edington - Princeton University's Chemistry Department, Frick Laboratory
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  • "It is clear to me that RBD Instruments is one of those companies that wasn't simply started to make a lot of money. Its goal was to provide service and assistance, and to raise the level of expectations of the surface science community, and continuously improve and enhance the end user's ability to get results, and at the same time improve their knowledge and make it easier for them to help themselves.
    RBD Instruments is as much a provider of free information and knowledge as it is a revenue seeking operation, and that kind of integrity is rare in the current dog-eat-dog economy."

    Steve Buckingham (Technologist - Analytical Chemist, Novelis Global Research & Technology Center
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  • "I received the new solenoid today at noon. I did have time to swap it out and check it. SUCCESS!! Thanks for your timely help with this issue. I have changed samples successfully. Tomorrow I will put the instrument through it's paces..."
    "...As always, it's a pleasure doing business with RBD - your expertise is invaluable to we users out here in the field. Thanks again."

    Jerry Kallay - Quality Engineer, Arcelor/Mittal Weirton
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  • "Since joining the Chemistry Department at Johns Hopkins University in 1997 I have used RBD as my sole source of surface analytical equipment. This includes several Phi XPS and AES systems, all of which remain fully operational. Over the years RBD has continued to sell a wide range of high quality, refurbished surface analytical instruments at extremely competitive pricing. This resale capability has been complemented by prompt and efficient instrument repair and troubleshooting capabilities. Their combination of technical and service skills mean that RBD is unique as a company in terms of its ability to help maintain the research productivity of surface scientists working on limited budgets, and I recommend them to colleagues without hesitation."

    Howard Fairbrother - Professor of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University
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  • "We are a thin film synthesis group employing an unconventional growth technique for MBE that involves metal-organic precursors. The configuration of our chamber makes baking after a vent very difficult, so we got the IRB lamp to make it easier to bake the system after vents and to desorb the water and organic material that comes in from the precursors. The IRB has been great for us, accelerating our pumpdown, lowering our base pressure by a factor of 5, and allowing us to clean the chamber walls after we’ve used the precursors.
    We use it regularly and would recommend any group doing CVD, ALD, or metal-organic MBE or who has a difficult-to-bake system to get an IRB.

    Ryan Comes - Assistant Professor of Physics, Auburn University FINO Lab
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  • "I have gotten first class service from RBD Instruments, the people are friendly , helpful, and very knowledgeable. I have gotten parts overnight when I was down, I have gotten stellar technical help on what to look for or measure when determining what needed to be repaired or replaced. Randy is an encyclopedia of information and always ready to help me keep my system running. I would recommend RBD Instruments without reservation to anyone needing help or parts for their system."

    Brian Halawith - Manufacturing Engineering Manager, L3 Communications
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  • "Thanks so much for the great customer service. This is one of the
    best experiences I've ever had with a company's tech support."

    Mike Ziemkiewicz - JILA, University of Colorado at Boulder
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  • "RBD's service is the best in the business - and I have a lot of service providers."

    James W. McEwen - Manager, Business Development, Oneida Research Services, Inc.
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  • "I am a graduate student at UT Austin and our group has received a lot of support for two XPS systems in need of serious maintenance over the last few years. RBD instruments has been the go-to source and has provided far more help than the original manufacturers. Whether it is working with Rena to order replacement components or with Randy to do in-depth troubleshooting, RBD Instruments is always a pleasure to work with. We have received a ton of online tech support from Randy as well as a week-long on-site visit. Randy is always very timely with his replies and provides excellent remote service. He is incredibly patient and thorough and therefore extremely helpful with troubleshooting subtle problems, even when the customer is very unfamiliar with the equipment and sometimes struggles to provide appropriate details.
    In addition to the excellent quality of service he provides, Randy is very considerate of maximizing the value of his time as well as that of the customer. He prescribes solutions to problems conservatively, emphasizing getting back to operation quickly. At the same time, he takes customer satisfaction seriously and tends to all of the needs brought up by the customer. Also, Randy is a delight to work with. He is extremely personable, very understanding and quite funny. He leverages his knowledge and experience to actually teach the customer as well, so that the customer can feel more confident with their equipment. A prominent example of this is his extensive TechSpot blog, which serves as a free, excellent first line of defense against common problems as well as a good reference material. Without the much-needed aid of RBD instruments, our research group would be suffering critical loss of function as in-situ XPS the workhorse characterization tool for our experiments. I give RBD Instruments my highest recommendation."

    Himmi Nallan - Univiversity Texas Austin