Robot apparatus including dual end effectors with variable pitch and methods

An electronic device processing system, comprising:

• a transfer chamber including a plurality of facets, one or more of the plurality of facets including dual openings with centers separated by an opening distance;
• one or more process chambers coupled to the plurality of facets, one or more of the process chambers including dual processing locations having centers separated by a processing distance, the processing distance being greater than the opening distance;
• a robot apparatus at least partially enclosed within the transfer chamber, the robot apparatus comprising:
• an upper arm adapted to rotate about a first rotational axis;
• a forearm rotatably coupled to the upper arm at a second rotational axis, the second rotational axis spaced from the first rotational axis;
• a first wrist member rotatably coupled to the forearm at a third rotational axis, the third rotational axis spaced from the second rotational axis;
• a first end effector coupled to the first wrist member;
• a second wrist member rotatably coupled to the forearm at the third rotational axis;
• a second end effector coupled to the second wrist member;
• wherein the first wrist member and the second wrist member are configured to provide a first pitch comprising a first end effector distance between the first end effector and the second end effector that is approximately equal to the opening distance while the first end effector and the second end effector are extended a first distance from the first rotational axis to concurrently enter the transfer chamber;
• and
• wherein the first wrist member and the second wrist member are configured to rotate dependently in relation to each other about the third rotational axis to a second pitch comprising a second end effector distance between the first end effector and the second end effector that is approximately equal to the processing distance while the first end effector and the second end effector are extended a second distance from the first rotational axis to concurrently place substrates on the dual processing locations, wherein the first end effector distance is different than the second end effector distance.

A method of operating a robot apparatus, comprising:

• rotating an upper arm of a robot apparatus about a first rotational axis;
• rotating a forearm relative to the upper arm and about a second rotational axis spaced from the first rotational axis;
• rotating a first wrist member coupled to a first end effector and a second wrist member coupled to a second end effector relative to the forearm and about a third rotational axis spaced from the second rotational axis to a first end effector distance between the first end effector and the second end effector while the first end effector and the second end effector are extended a first distance from the first rotational axis to concurrently enter adjacent slit valves of a processing chamber;
• and
• dependently rotating the first wrist member and the second wrist member in relation to each other about the third rotational axis to a second end effector distance while the first end effector and the second end effector are extended a second distance from the first rotational axis to concurrently place substrates on adjacent processing locations within the processing chamber, wherein the first end effector distance is different than the second end effector distance.