Multi-axis robot apparatus with unequal length forearms, electronic device manufacturing systems, and methods for transporting substrates in electronic device manufacturing

An electronic device processing system, comprising:

• a transfer chamber;
• a multi-link robot apparatus at least partially received in the transfer chamber, the multi-link robot apparatus having
• a boom adapted to rotate about a first rotational axis;
• a first forearm rotationally coupled to the boom at an outboard end of the boom and configured to be independently rotated;
• a second forearm rotationally coupled to the boom at the outboard end of the boom and configured to be independently rotated, the second forearm being shorter than the first forearm;
• a first wrist member rotationally coupled to the first forearm and configured to be independently rotated relative to the first forearm;
• and
• a second wrist member rotationally coupled to the second forearm and configured to be independently rotated relative to the second forearm.

A method of transporting substrates within an electronic device processing system, comprising:

• providing a boom adapted to rotate about a first rotational axis;
• providing a first forearm rotationally coupled to the boom at an outboard end of the boom;
• providing a second forearm rotationally coupled to the boom at the outboard end of the boom, the second forearm being shorter than the first forearm;
• providing a first wrist member rotationally coupled to the first forearm at an outer location of the first forearm;
• providing a second wrist member rotationally coupled to the second forearm at an outer location of the second forearm;
• and
• independently rotating the first forearm, second forearm, first wrist member, and second wrist member to transport substrates from chamber to chamber and moving the second forearm overtop the first forearm at least some time during the transport.