# US 2014/0150592 A1 · Motor modules, multi-axis motor drive assemblies, multi-axis robot apparatus, and electronic device manufacturing systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0150592 A1 - Document ID: US20140150592A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/090,929 - Filed: 2013-11-26 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc. - Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc. - Inventors: Izya Kremerman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150592A1 ## CPC - H02K 16/00: Machines with more than one rotor or stator {(machines for transmitting mechanical power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft and comprising structurally interrelated motor and generator parts H02K51/00; permanent magnet machines with multiple rotors or stators relatively rotated for vectorially combining the excitation fields or the armature voltages H02K21/029)} - B25J 9/042: {comprising an articulated arm} - B25J 9/126: {Rotary actuators} - B25J 11/0095: {Manipulators transporting wafers} - H02K 5/128: using air-gap sleeves or air-gap discs - H10P 72/32: {between different workstations} - H10P 72/3302: {Mechanical parts of transfer devices} - H02K 2213/12: Machines characterised by the modularity of some components - Y10S 901/23: Electric motor - Y10T 29/49009: Dynamoelectric machine - Y10T 74/20317: including electric motor - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Motor modules for multi-arm robot apparatus are described. The motor modules can be used individually or stacked and assembled to make up one-axis, 2-axis, 3-axis, 4-axis, 5-axis, 6-axis motor assemblies, or more. One or more of the motor modules have a stator assembly including a stator received in the stator housing, and a rotor assembly abutting the stator assembly, the rotor assembly including a rotor housing, a drive shaft, a bearing assembly supporting the drive shaft, and a rotor coupled to the drive shaft. A vacuum barrier member is positioned between the rotor and the stator. Multi-axis motor drive assemblies, multi-axis robot apparatus, electronic device manufacturing systems, and methods of assembling drive assemblies are described, as are numerous other aspects. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A motor module, comprising: a stator assembly including a stator housing and a stator received in the stator housing; a rotor assembly abutting the stator assembly and including: a rotor housing, a drive shaft, a bearing assembly supporting the drive shaft relative to the rotor housing, and a rotor coupled to the drive shaft; and a vacuum barrier member positioned between the rotor and the stator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The motor module of claim 1, comprising a first encoder element coupled to the rotor housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The motor module of claim 1, comprising a second encoder element coupled to the drive shaft. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The motor module of claim 1, wherein the vacuum barrier member comprises an annular sleeve. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The motor module of claim 1, wherein the annular sleeve seals against the stator housing and the rotor housing at ends of the annular sleeve. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The motor module of claim 1, wherein the annular sleeve extends between the stator housing and the rotor housing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The motor module of claim 1, wherein then stator assembly comprises: a first stator and a second stator, and the second stator is received adjacent to the first stator in the stator housing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The motor module of claim 1, wherein the rotor assembly comprises a first rotor assembly coupled to the stator assembly on a first side, and a second rotor assembly coupled to the stator assembly on a second side. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The motor module of claim 8, wherein the annular sleeve extends between the rotor housing of the first rotor assembly, and a second rotor housing of the second rotor assembly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The motor module of claim 1, wherein the rotor assembly comprises a rotor support coupled to the rotor. ### Claim 11 A multi-axis motor drive assembly, comprising: a first motor module; and a second motor module, wherein combinations of the first motor module, the second motor module, or both, are assembled to produce a two-axis, three-axis motor, four-axis motor, five-axis motor, or six-axis motor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The multi-axis motor drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the first motor module consists of one-axis capability; and a second motor module consists of two-axis capability. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The multi-axis motor drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the first motor module consists of one-axis capability; and a second motor module consists of two-axis capability, and the multi-axis drive assembly consists of a three-axis motor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The multi-axis motor drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the first motor module consists of one-axis capability, the second motor module consists of two-axis capability, a third motor module consists of two-axis capability, and the multi-axis drive assembly consists of a five-axis motor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The multi-axis motor drive assembly of claim 11, wherein each of the first motor module and the second motor module comprises: a stator assembly including a stator housing and a stator received in the stator housing; a rotor assembly abutting the stator assembly and including: a rotor housing, a drive shaft, a bearing assembly supporting the drive shaft relative to the rotor housing, and a rotor coupled to the drive shaft; and a vacuum barrier member positioned between the rotor and the stator. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The multi-axis motor drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the second motor module includes a rotor assembly, the rotor assembly comprising: a first rotor assembly coupled to a stator assembly on a first side, and a second rotor assembly coupled to the stator assembly on a second side opposite the first side. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The multi-axis motor drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the second motor module includes a stator assembly, comprising: a first stator; and a second stator, wherein the second stator is received adjacent to the first stator in a stator housing. ### Claim 18 A multi-axis robot apparatus, comprising: one or more robot arms; a first motor module having one-axis capability coupled to the one or more first robot arm of the one or more robot arms; and a second motor module having two-axis capability coupled to and adapted to move one or more second robot arm of the one or more robot arms. ### Claim 19 An electronic device processing system, comprising: a transfer chamber; a robot apparatus including robot arms received in the transfer chamber and one or more motor modules coupled to the robot arms, at least one motor module including: a stator assembly including a stator housing and a stator received in the stator housing; a rotor assembly abutting the stator assembly and including: a rotor housing, a drive shaft, a bearing assembly supporting the drive shaft relative to the rotor housing, and a rotor coupled to the drive shaft; and a vacuum barrier member positioned between the rotor and the stator. ### Claim 20 A method of assembling a multi-axis drive assembly, comprising: providing a first motor module consisting of one-axis capability; providing a second motor module consisting of two-axis capability; and assembling one or more of the first motor module to one or more of the second motor module to form the multi-axis motor assembly.