US 10,500,719 B2Granted

Dual robot including spaced upper arms and interleaved wrists and systems and methods including same

AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.

InventorsKaruppasamy Muthukamatchi, Damon K. Cox, Jeffrey C. Hudgens

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Abstract

Robots including spaced upper arms are described. The robot includes first and second upper arms rotatable about a shoulder axis wherein the second upper arm is spaced from the first upper arm. The other robot components (first and second forearms, first and second wrist members, and first and second end effectors) are interleaved in the space between the first and second upper arms. Each of the first and second upper arms and first and second forearms may be individually and independently controlled. Methods of operating the robot and electronic device processing systems including the robot are provided, as are numerous other aspects.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A robot, comprising:

a first upper arm rotatable about a shoulder axis;
a second upper arm vertically spaced from the first upper arm and rotatable about the shoulder axis;
a first forearm coupled to the first upper arm and vertically located between the first upper arm and the second upper arm and adapted for rotation relative to the first upper arm about a second axis at a position offset from the shoulder axis;
a second forearm coupled to the second upper arm and vertically located between the first upper arm and the second upper arm and adapted for rotation relative to the second upper arm about a third axis at a position offset from the shoulder axis;
a first wrist member coupled to the first forearm and vertically located between the first upper arm and the second upper arm and adapted for rotation relative to the first forearm about a fourth axis at a position offset from the second axis;
a second wrist member coupled to the second forearm and vertically located between the first upper arm and the second upper arm and adapted for rotation relative to the second forearm about a fifth axis at a position offset from the third axis;
a first forearm shaft rigidly coupled to the first upper arm and to a first wrist member driving member;
a first wrist member driven member coupled to the first wrist member, wherein the first wrist member driving member comprises a first cam surface and the first wrist member driven member comprises a second cam surface;
and
a first wrist member transmission element coupled between the first cam surface and the second cam surface, wherein the first and second cam surfaces are to enable a nonlinear rate of rotation of the first wrist member with respect to the first forearm.

7 more elements

An electronic device processing system, comprising:

a transfer chamber;
a robot at least partially disposed in the transfer chamber and adapted to transport substrates to and from process chambers coupled to the transfer chamber, the robot comprising:
a first upper arm rotatable about a shoulder axis;
a second upper arm vertically spaced from the first upper arm and rotatable about the shoulder axis;
a first forearm coupled to the first upper arm and vertically located between the first upper arm and the second upper arm and adapted for rotation relative to the first upper arm about a second axis at a position offset from the shoulder axis;
a second forearm coupled to the second upper arm and vertically located between the first upper arm and the second upper arm and adapted for rotation relative to the second upper arm about a third axis at a position offset from the shoulder axis;
a first wrist member coupled to the first forearm and vertically located between the first upper arm and the second upper arm and adapted for rotation relative to the first forearm about a fourth axis at a position offset from the second axis;
a second wrist member coupled to the second forearm and vertically located between the first upper arm and the second upper arm and adapted for rotation relative to the second forearm about a fifth axis at a position offset from the third axis;
a first forearm shaft rigidly coupled to the first upper arm and to a first wrist member driving member;
a first wrist member driven member coupled to the first wrist member, wherein the first wrist member driving member comprises a first cam surface and the first wrist member driven member comprises a second cam surface;
and
a first wrist member transmission element coupled between the first cam surface and the second cam surface, wherein the first and second cam surfaces are to enable a nonlinear rate of rotation of the first wrist member with respect to the first forearm.

9 more elements

A method of transporting substrates within an electronic device processing system, comprising:

providing a robot comprising a first upper arm rotatable about a shoulder axis, a second upper arm vertically spaced from the first upper arm and rotatable about the shoulder axis, a first forearm coupled to the first upper arm and vertically located between the first upper arm and the second upper arm and adapted for rotation relative to the first upper arm about a second axis at a position offset from the shoulder axis, a second forearm coupled to the second upper arm and vertically located between the first upper arm and the second upper arm and adapted for rotation relative to the second upper arm about a third axis at a position offset from the shoulder axis, a first wrist member coupled to the first forearm and vertically located between the first upper arm and the second upper arm and adapted for rotation relative to the first forearm about a fourth axis at a position offset from the second axis, a second wrist member coupled to the second forearm and vertically located between the first upper arm and the second upper arm and adapted for rotation relative to the second forearm about a fifth axis at a position offset from the third axis, a first forearm shaft rigidly coupled to the first upper arm and to a first wrist member driving member, a first wrist member driven member coupled to the first wrist member, wherein the first wrist member driving member comprises a first cam surface and the first wrist member driven member comprises a second cam surface, and a first wrist member transmission element coupled between the first cam surface and the second cam surface, wherein the first and second cam surfaces are to enable a nonlinear rate of rotation of the first wrist member with respect to the first forearm;
independently rotating the first upper arm to extend a first end effector radially into a first chamber;
and
independently rotating the second upper arm to extend a second end effector radially into a second chamber.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/619,424Filed 9 Jun 2017 · us provisional application
Priority: 28 Jun 2016
Published: US 2017/0368680 A128 Dec 2017
Granted: 10 Dec 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B25J 9/0087
Comprising a plurality of manipulators: dual arms
B25J 9/043
Comprising an articulated arm: double selective compliance articulated robot arms [SCARA]
H10P 72/0461
Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations: characterised by the presence of two or more transfer chambers
H10P 72/3302
Into and out of processing chamber: mechanical parts of transfer devices

Family

Application62/355,697Us provisional application · filed 28 Jun 2016
US 2017/0368680 A1Pre-grant publication · published 28 Dec 2017
US 10,500,719 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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