Asymmetric dual end effector robot arm
AssigneePersimmon Technologies Corporation
InventorsScott Wilkas, Martin Hosek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus includes a first arm comprising an unequal-link linkage having a first end effector; a second arm comprising an equal-link linkage having a second end effector; and a drive unit coupled to the first arm and the second arm, the drive unit being configured to move the first arm and the second arm. The first end effector is asymmetric to the second end effector. The first end effector is angled relative to the second end effector such that a first substrate support section on the first end effector is not positioned over or under a second substrate support section on the second end effector.
Claims10
An apparatus, comprising:
- at least one wall defining a chamber;
- at least two substrate processing stations defined in the at least one wall and in an interior of the chamber;
- a robot extending at least partially through the at least one wall of the chamber, the robot comprising,
- a first arm comprising a linkage having two links of unequal length and having a first end effector,
- a second arm comprising a linkage having two links of equal length and having a second end effector, and
- a drive unit coupled to the first arm and the second arm, the drive unit being configured to move the first arm and the second arm,
- wherein the first end effector is asymmetric to the second end effector, and
- wherein the first end effector is angled relative to the second end effector such that a first substrate support section on the first end effector is not positioned over or under a second substrate support section on the second end effector;
- and
- at least one controller connected to the robot and the at least two processing stations, the at least one controller comprising at least one processor and at least one memory comprising software configured to control a coordinated operation of at least the first arm relative to the second arm of the apparatus.
A method of transporting at least one substrate between a first station and a second station, the method comprising:
- providing chamber defined by at least one wall, an interior of the chamber defining at least the first station and the second station;
- providing a robot extending at least partially into the chamber, the robot comprising,
- a first arm comprising a linkage having two links of unequal length and having a first end effector,
- a second arm comprising a linkage having two links of equal length and having a second end effector, and
- a drive unit coupled to the first arm and the second arm, the drive unit being configured to move the first arm and the second arm,
- wherein the first end effector is asymmetric to the second end effector, and
- wherein the first end effector is angled relative to the second end effector such that a first substrate support section on the first end effector is not positioned over or under a second substrate support section on the second end effector;
- and
- rotating one or more of the first arm or the second arm about a shaft of the drive unit in a coordinated operation to cause the first or second end effector to pick the at least one substrate from the first station and place the at least one substrate into the second station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.