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US 10,850,390 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
Life of this patent
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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 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
A robot, comprising:
- a first upper arm rotatable about a shoulder axis, wherein the first upper arm is a first single cantilever beam;
- a second upper arm vertically spaced above the first upper arm and rotatable about the shoulder axis, wherein the second upper arm is a second single cantilever beam;
- a first forearm attached to the first upper arm and vertically located between the first upper arm and the second upper arm, the first forearm adapted for rotation relative to the first upper arm about a second axis at a position offset from the shoulder axis;
- a second forearm attached to the second upper arm and vertically located between the first forearm and the second upper arm, the second forearm 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 attached to the first forearm and vertically located between the first forearm and the second forearm, the first wrist member adapted for rotation relative to the first forearm about a fourth axis at a position offset from the second axis;
- and
- a second wrist member attached to the second forearm and vertically located between the first wrist member and the second forearm, the second wrist member adapted for rotation relative to the second forearm about a fifth axis at a position offset from the third axis.
4 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 including:
- a first upper arm rotatable about a shoulder axis, wherein the first upper arm is a first single cantilever beam;
- a second upper arm vertically spaced above the first upper arm and rotatable about the shoulder axis, wherein the second upper arm is a second single cantilever beam;
- a first forearm attached to the first upper arm and vertically located between the first upper arm and the second upper arm, the first forearm adapted for rotation relative to the first upper arm about a second axis at a position offset from the shoulder axis;
- a second forearm attached to the second upper arm and vertically located between the first forearm and the second upper arm, the second forearm 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 attached to the first forearm and vertically located between the first forearm and the second forearm, the first wrist member adapted for rotation relative to the first forearm about a fourth axis at a position offset from the second axis;
- and
- a second wrist member attached to the second forearm and vertically located between the first wrist member and the second forearm the second wrist member adapted for rotation relative to the second forearm about a fifth axis at a position offset from the third axis.
6 more elements
A method of transporting substrates within an electronic device processing system, comprising:
- providing a robot including a first upper arm rotatable about a shoulder axis, wherein the first upper arm is a first single cantilever beam, a second upper arm vertically spaced from the first upper arm and rotatable about the shoulder axis, wherein the second upper arm is a second single cantilever beam, a first forearm attached to the first upper arm and vertically located between the first upper arm and the second upper arm, the first forearm adapted for rotation relative to the first upper arm about a second axis at a position offset from the shoulder axis, a second forearm attached to the second upper arm and vertically located between the first forearm and the second upper arm, the second forearm 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 attached to the first forearm and vertically located between the first forearm and the second forearm, the first wrist member adapted for rotation relative to the first forearm about a fourth axis at a position offset from the second axis, and a second wrist member attached to the second forearm and vertically located between the first wrist member and the second forearm, the second wrist member adapted for rotation relative to the second forearm about a fifth axis at a position offset from the third axis;
- 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.