Multi-blade robot apparatus, electronic device manufacturing apparatus, and methods adapted to transport multiple substrates in electronic device manufacturing

An electronic device manufacturing apparatus, comprising:

• a mainframe including a transfer chamber and at least two process chambers;
• a first dual load lock coupled to the mainframe and including a first vertical pitch between an upper load lock support and a lower load lock support;
• a second dual load lock coupled to the mainframe and including a second vertical pitch between an upper load lock support and a lower load lock support of the second dual load lock, wherein the first vertical pitch is less than the second vertical pitch;
• a robot apparatus configured to transport substrates to the first dual load lock and the second dual load lock and the at least two process chambers, the robot apparatus including:
• an upper arm including an inboard end and an outboard end, the inboard end configured to rotate about a shoulder axis,
• a first blade configured for independent rotation relative to the upper arm about an outboard axis, the first blade including a first end effector,
• a second blade configured for independent rotation relative to the upper arm about the outboard axis, the second blade including a second end effector, and
• a third blade configured for independent rotation relative to the upper arm about the outboard axis, the third blade including a third end effector,
• wherein a vertical spacing between the first end effector and the second end effector equals the first vertical pitch and a spacing between the first end effector the third end effector is equal to the second vertical pitch.

A method of transporting multiple substrates within an electronic device manufacturing apparatus, comprising:

• providing a mainframe including a transfer chamber and at least two process chambers;
• providing a first dual load lock coupled to the mainframe and including a first vertical pitch between an upper load lock support and a lower load lock support of the dual first load lock, and a second dual load lock coupled to the mainframe and including a second vertical pitch between an upper load lock support and a lower load lock support of the second dual load lock, wherein the first vertical pitch is less than the second vertical pitch;
• providing a robot apparatus configured to transport substrates to the first dual load lock and the second dual load lock and the at least two process chambers, the robot apparatus including:
• an upper arm including an inboard end and an outboard end, the inboard end configured to rotate about a shoulder axis, a first blade configured for independent rotation relative to the upper arm about an outboard axis, the first blade including a first end effector, a second blade configured for independent rotation relative to the upper arm about the outboard axis, the second blade including a second end effector, and a third blade configured for independent rotation relative to the upper arm about the outboard axis, the third blade including a third end effector;
• servicing the first dual load lock with the second blade and the third blade or the first blade and the second blade;
• and
• servicing the second dual load lock with the first blade and the third blade.