# US 6,297,611 B1 · Robot having independent end effector linkage motion > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,297,611 B1 - Document ID: US6297611B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 09/610,969 - Filed: 2000-07-06 - Granted: 2001-10-02 - Earliest claimed: 2000-07-06 - Assignees: Genmark Automation, Inc. - Inventors: Alexander Todorov; Zlatko Sotirov; Mila Genov - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6297611B1 ## CPC - B25J 9/107: {of the froglegs type} - B25J 9/042: {comprising an articulated arm} - H10P 72/3302: {Mechanical parts of transfer devices} - 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 ## Abstract A substrate handling system comprises a robot containing mico-environment in communication with a plurality of processing stations. The robot has a robot arm comprising an end effector linkage mounted to an extensible linkage. Each of the linkages is independently actuatable using an associated motor, with the extensible linkage serving to convey the end effector linkage to the vicinity of a target processing station for delivery or retrieval of a substrate. Motion of the linkages may be synchronized to reduce travel time, and multiple end effectors may be mounted to the extensible linkage for increasing throughput. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot comprising: a frame; and a robot arm comprising: an extensible linkage mounted to the frame, the extensible linkage including a plurality of links mechanically connected to one another; an extensible linkage motor mechanically connected to the links of the extensible linkage such that rotation of the extensible linkage motor translates a mounting portion of one of the links of the extensible linkage along an extensible linkage trajectory; one or more end effector linkages movably mounted to the mounting portion of the extensible linkage, each end effector linkage including an end effector and a plurality of links mechanically connected to one another; and an end effector motor associated with each end effector linkage and mechanically connected to the plurality of links of the end effector linkage such that rotation of the end effector motor translates the end effector along an end effector trajectory, wherein the extensible linkage motor and each end effector motor are independently actuatable such that motion imparted to the extensible linkage by the extensible linkage motor is independent of motion imparted to each end effector linkage by each associated end effector motor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the robot arm is rotatably mounted to the frame at a T-axis of rotation and is motivated to rotate about the T-axis by a third motor mechanically connected to the robot arm and actuatable independently of the first and second motors. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein a link of the extensible linkage is rotatably mounted in the frame about an R-axis, the first trajectory comprising radial motion with respect to the R-axis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a stationary frame and an elevatable frame having Z-axis motion relative to the stationary frame, the robot arm being mounted in the elevatable frame. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The robot of claim 4, wherein the elevatable frame is tiltable with respect to the stationary frame. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the end effector linkage is provided with yaw axis motion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the end effector is provided with yaw axis motion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the number of end effector linkages is two. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The robot of claim 8, wherein the end effectors of each of the two end effector linkages are mounted so as to be offset, the end effectors thereby being capable of occupying the same radial and angular positions with respect to the mounting portion of the extensible linkage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein motion of the extensible linkage occurs over a first duration and motion of at least one end effector linkage occurs over a second duration, and wherein the first and second durations at least partially overlap. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the links of the extensible linkage are configured to enable reversible motion of the extensible linkage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the links of each end effector linkage are configured to enable reversible motion of the end effector linkage. ### Claim 13 A substrate handling system comprising: a micro-environment enclosure; one or more processing stations in communication with the micro-environment enclosure; and a robot enclosed within the micro-environment enclosure, the robot comprising: a frame; and a robot arm comprising: an extensible linkage mounted to the frame, the extensible linkage including a plurality of links mechanically connected to one another; an extensible linkage motor mechanically connected to the links of the extensible linkage such that rotation of the extensible linkage motor translates a mounting portion of one of the links of the extensible linkage along an extensible linkage trajectory; one or more end effector linkages movably mounted to the mounting portion of the extensible linkage, each end effector linkage including an end effector and a plurality of links mechanically connected to one another; and an end effector motor associated with each end effector linkage and mechanically connected to the plurality of links of the end effector linkage such that rotation of the end effector motor translates the end effector along an end effector trajectory, wherein the extensible linkage motor and each end effector motor are independently actuatable such that motion imparted to the extensible linkage by the extensible linkage motor is independent of motion imparted to each end effector linkage by each associated end effector motor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The robot of claim 13, wherein the robot arm is rotatably mounted to the frame at a T-axis of rotation and is motivated to rotate about the T-axis by a third motor mechanically connected to the robot arm and actuatable independently of the first and second motors. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The robot of claim 13, wherein a link of the extensible linkage is rotatably mounted in the frame about an R-axis, the first trajectory comprising radial motion with respect to the R-axis. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The robot of claim 14, wherein the frame comprises a stationary frame and an elevatable frame having Z-axis motion relative to the stationary frame, the robot arm being mounted in the elevatable frame. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The robot of claim 16, wherein the elevatable frame is tiltable with respect to the stationary frame. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The robot of claim 13, wherein the end effector linkage is provided with yaw axis motion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The robot of claim 14, wherein the end effector is provided with yaw axis motion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The robot of claim 13, wherein the number of end effector linkages is two. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The robot of claim 20, wherein the end effectors of each of the two end effector linkages are mounted so as to be offset, the end effectors thereby being capable of occupying the same radial and angular positions with respect to the mounting portion of the extensible linkage. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The robot of claim 13, wherein motion of the extensible linkage occurs over a first duration and motion of at least one end effector linkage occurs over a second duration, and wherein the first and second durations at least partially overlap. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The robot of claim 13, wherein the links of the extensible linkage are configured to enable reversible motion of the extensible linkage. ### Claim 24 (depends on 13) The robot of claim 13, wherein the links of each end effector linkage are configured to enable reversible motion of the end effector linkage.