Substrate processing apparatus

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• a transport apparatus connected to the frame, the transport apparatus having an upper arm link, a forearm link rotatably coupled to the upper arm link about an elbow axis, at least a third arm link rotatably coupled to the forearm link about a wrist axis, and an end effector rotatably coupled to the third arm link about a knuckle axis;
• and
• a drive system operably connected to at least one of the upper arm link, the forearm link, and the third arm link for effecting extension and retraction of the end effector wherein the transport apparatus has a reach that is a maximum reach of the transport apparatus for a predetermined swing diameter of the transport apparatus with the upper arm link, forearm link, third arm link, and end effector in a retracted configuration, which maximum reach extends the end effector, its knuckle axis, and at least part of the third arm link including the wrist axis through a slot valve of the substrate processing apparatus.

A method for transporting substrates comprising:

• providing a transport apparatus connected to a frame, the transport apparatus having an upper arm link, a forearm link rotatably coupled to the upper arm link about an elbow axis, at least a third arm link rotatably coupled to the forearm link about a wrist axis, and an end effector rotatably coupled to the third arm link about a knuckle axis;
• and
• effecting, with two degrees of freedom of a two degree of freedom drive system, extension or retraction of the upper arm link, the forearm link, the third arm link, and the end effector in a horizontal plane, on opposite sides of a shoulder axis of the transport apparatus and crossing over the shoulder axis so that the wrist axis extends through a pass through of a slot valve of a substrate processing apparatus on each of the opposite sides to one or more of pick and place substrates;
• wherein a height of the end effector is within a stack height profile of the wrist axis so that a total stack height of the end effector and wrist axis is sized to conform within the pass through of the slot valve.