Linear robot with two-link arm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12103176-B2
Application number	US-202016788941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2020
Priority date	Feb 14, 2019
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus including a linear transport configured to move in a transport chamber along a straight path; a robot connected to the linear transport, where the robot includes a robot drive and a robot arm connected to the robot drive, where the robot arm is a dual-link arm having a first link connected to the robot drive and a second link forming an end effector for supporting a substrate thereon; a controller connected to the linear transport and to the robot drive, where the controller is configured to provide movement of the linear transport along the straight path at a same time as extension and retraction of the dual-link arm to thereby move the end effector into or out of a substrate process chamber or a substrate holding area while both the linear transport and the dual-link arm are moving.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a linear transport configured to move in a transport chamber along a straight path;
a robot connected to the linear transport, where the robot comprises a robot drive and a robot arm connected to the robot drive, where the robot arm comprises a dual-link arm having a first link connected to the robot drive and a second link forming an end effector for supporting a substrate thereon;
a controller connected to the linear transport and to the robot drive, where the controller is configured to control movement of the linear transport along the straight path, where the controller is configured to control the robot drive to extend and retract the dual-link arm,
where the controller is configured to provide the movement of the linear transport along the straight path at a same time as extension and retraction by rotation of the dual-link arm to coordinate a non-translational movement of the end effector along a curved path relative to an entrance of a substrate process chamber and through the entrance with a translational movement of the end effector from the entrance and to an inside of the substrate process chamber to thereby move the end effector into or out of the substrate process chamber or a substrate holding area while both the linear transport and the dual-link arm are moving.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising the transport chamber, and a plurality of the substrate process chamber connected to the transport chamber on opposite sides of the transport chamber, where the apparatus is sized and shaped such that the end effector is incapable of being moved into or out of the substrate process chambers by the dual-link arm unless the linear transport is being moved.

3. The apparatus as in claim 2 further comprising:
a second linear transport configured to move in the transport chamber at least partially along the straight path; and a second robot connected to the second linear transport, where the second robot comprises a second robot drive and a second robot arm connected to the second robot drive, where the second robot arm comprises a second dual-link arm having a third link connected to the second robot drive and a fourth link forming a second end effector for supporting a substrate thereon,
where the controller is connected to the second linear transport and to the second robot drive, where the controller is configured to control movement of the second linear transport along the straight path, where the controller is configured to control the second robot drive to extend and retract the second dual-link arm,
where the controller is configured to provide the movement of the second linear transport along the straight path at a same time as extension and retraction of the second dual-link arm to thereby move the second end effector into or out of a substrate process chamber or a substrate holding area while both the second linear transport and the second dual-link arm are moving.

4. The apparatus as in claim 2 where the transport chamber comprises a first section having a general rectangular shape and a second section at an end of the general rectangular shape, where the second section is wider than the first section and is connected to or forms at least two of the substrate holding area.

5. The apparatus as in claim 4 further comprising equipment front end module connected to the the second section of the transport chamber, where equipment front end module comprises substrate cassette elevators and is configured to move substrates between the substrate cassette elevators and the at least two substrate holding areas.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1 where the robot arm comprises a third link connected to the first link, where the first link and the third link form a second dual-link arm having a second end effector formed on the third link.

7. The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising the transport chamber, and a plurality of the substrate holding area at an end of the transport chamber, where each of the substrate holding areas have a center axis at least partially offset from, or are angled relative to, a center axis along the straight path of the transport chamber.

8. A method comprising:
providing a robot comprising a robot drive and a robot arm connected to the robot drive, where the robot arm comprises a dual-link arm having a first link connected to the robot drive and a second link forming an end effector for supporting a substrate thereon;
mounting the robot onto a linear transport, where the linear transport is configured to move in a transport chamber along a straight path;
connecting the robot drive and the linear transport to a controller, where the controller is configured to control movement of the linear transport along the straight path, and where the controller is configured to control the robot drive to extend and retract the dual-link arm,
where the controller is configured to provide the movement of the linear transport along the straight path at a same time as the robot drive extension and retraction by rotation of the dual-link arm to coordinate a non-translational movement of the end effector along a curved path relative to an entrance of a substrate process chamber through the entrance with a translational movement of the end effector from the entrance and to an inside of the substrate process chamber to thereby move the end effector into or out of the substrate process chamber or a substrate holding area while both the linear transport and the dual-link arm are moving.

9. The method as in claim 8 where the transport chamber, the robot arm and the linear transport are sized and shaped such that the end effector is incapable of being moved into or out of the substrate process chamber by the dual-link arm unless the linear transport is being moved.

10. The method as in claim 8 further comprising
providing a second robot comprising a second robot drive and a second robot arm connected to the second robot drive, where the second robot arm comprises a second dual-link arm having a third link connected to the second robot drive and a fourth link forming a second end effector for supporting a substrate thereon;
mounting second robot onto a second linear transport, where the second linear transport is configured to move in the transport chamber at least partially along the straight path;
connecting the second robot drive and the second linear transport to the controller, where the controller is configured to control movement of the second linear transport along the straight path, and where the controller is configured to control the second robot drive to extend and retract the second dual-link arm,
where the controller is configured to provide the movement of the second linear transport along the straight path at a same time as the second robot drive extension and retraction of the second dual-link arm to thereby move the second end effector into or out of a substrate process chamber or a substrate holding area while both the second linear transport and the second dual-link arm are moving.

11. The method as in claim 8 where the transport chamber comprises a first section having a general rectangular shape and a second section at an end of the general rectangular shape, where the second section is wider than the first section and is connected to or forms at least two of the substrate holding area.

12. The method as in claim 8 where the robot arm comprises a third link connected to the first link, where the first link and the third link form a second dual-link arm having a second end effector formed on the third link.

13. The method as in claim 8 where a plurality o

Assignees

• Persimmon Technologies Corp
• Persimmon Tech Corporation

Inventors

• Wilkas Scott

Classifications

• H10P72/3306

  Horizontal transfer of a single workpiece · CPC title

• H10P72/3302 Primary

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• B65G47/905

  Control arrangements · CPC title

• B25J9/0042

  with kinematics chains of the type prismatic-universal-universal · CPC title

• B25J9/0021

  All motors in base · CPC title