Dual robot including splayed end effectors and systems and methods including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020384635-A1
Application number	US-202016850590-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 16, 2020
Priority date	Jun 7, 2019
Publication date	Dec 10, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A robot may include a first arm assembly including a first upper arm rotatable about a first axis; a first forearm adapted for rotation relative to the first upper arm about a second axis; a first wrist member adapted for rotation relative to the first forearm about a third axis; and a first end effector coupled to the first wrist member, wherein the first end effector is moveable along a first path. A second arm assembly may include a second upper arm rotatable about the first axis; a second forearm adapted for rotation relative to the second upper arm about a fourth axis; a second wrist member adapted for rotation relative to the second forearm; and a second end effector coupled to the second wrist member, wherein the second end effector is moveable along a second path that does not overlap the first path. Other apparatus and methods are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A robot, comprising:
a first arm assembly including:
a first upper arm rotatable about a first axis;
a first forearm adapted for rotation relative to the first upper arm about a second axis at a position spaced from the first axis;
a first wrist member adapted for rotation relative to the first forearm about a third axis at a position spaced from the second axis; and
a first end effector coupled to the first wrist member;
wherein the first end effector is moveable along a first path; and
a second arm assembly including:
a second upper arm rotatable about the first axis;
a second forearm adapted for rotation relative to the second upper arm about a fourth axis at a position spaced from the first axis;
a second wrist member adapted for rotation relative to the second forearm about a fifth axis at a position spaced from the fourth axis; and
a second end effector coupled to the second wrist member,
wherein the second end effector is moveable along a second path and wherein the first path and the second path do not overlap.

2 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein the first arm assembly is moveable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the first end effector is closer to the first axis when the first arm assembly is in the retracted position than when the first arm assembly is in the extended position.

3 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein the second arm assembly is moveable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the second end effector is closer to the first axis when the second arm assembly is in the retracted position than when the second arm assembly is in the extended position.

4 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein the first arm assembly and the second arm assembly are moveable between retracted positions and extended positions, and wherein the first end effector and the second end effector are closer to the first axis when the first arm assembly and the second arm assembly are in the retracted positions than when the first arm assembly and the second arm assembly are in the extended positions.

5 . The robot of claim 4 , wherein a first line extending through a center of the first end effector and the first axis is at a splay angle relative to a second line extending through a center of the second end effector and the first axis when the first arm assembly and the second arm assembly are in the retracted positions, and wherein the splay angle is between 40° and 175°.

6 . The robot of claim 5 , wherein the splay angle is between 50° and 165°.

7 . The robot of claim 4 , further comprising:
a shaft assembly configured to rotate at least one of the first upper arm and the second upper arm; a first bend in the first wrist member; and a second bend the second wrist member, wherein the first bend and the second bend at least partially bend around the shaft assembly when the first arm assembly and the second arm assembly are in the retracted positions.

8 . The robot of claim 7 , wherein neither the first bend nor the second bend contact the shaft assembly when the first arm assembly and the second arm assembly are in the retracted positions.

9 . The robot of claim 4 , further comprising a shaft assembly configured to rotate at least one of the first upper arm and the second upper arm, wherein neither the first arm assembly nor the second arm assembly contact the shaft assembly when the first arm assembly and the second arm assembly are in the retracted positions.

10 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein a first length between the first axis and the second axis is greater than a second length between the second axis and the third axis.

11 . The robot of claim 10 , wherein the first length is between 110% and 200% greater than the second length.

12 . The robot of claim 10 , wherein the first length is between 200 mm and 380 mm.

13 . The robot of claim 10 , wherein the second length is between 100 mm and 345 mm.

14 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein a third length between the first axis and the fourth axis is greater than a fourth length between the fourth axis and the fifth axis.

15 . The robot of claim 14 , wherein the third length is between 110% and 200% greater than the fourth length.

16 . The robot of claim 14 , wherein the third length is between 200 mm and 380 mm.

17 . The robot of claim 14 , wherein the fourth length is between 100 mm and 345 mm.

18 . The robot of claim 14 , consisting of a number of motors numbering three and only three.

19 . An electronic device processing system, comprising:
a transfer chamber; a robot at least partially disposed in the transfer chamber and adapted to transport substrates to and from process chambers coupled to the transfer chamber, the robot including: a first arm assembly including:
a first upper arm rotatable about a first axis;
a first forearm adapted for rotation relative to the first upper arm about a second axis at a position spaced from the first axis;
a first wrist member adapted for rotation relative to the first forearm about a third axis at a position spaced from the second axis; and
a first end effector coupled to the first wrist member,
wherein the first end effector is moveable along a first path; and
a second arm assembly including:
a second upper arm rotatable about the first axis;
a second forearm adapted for rotation relative to the second upper arm about a fourth axis at a position spaced from the first axis;
a second wrist member adapted for rotation relative to the second forearm about a fifth axis at a position spaced from the fourth axis; and
a second end effector coupled to the second wrist member,
wherein the second end effector is moveable along a second path and wherein the first path and the second path do not overlap.

20 . A method of transporting substrates within an electronic device processing system, comprising:
rotating a first upper arm of a first arm assembly of a robot, wherein the rotating causes an end effector of the first arm assembly to move along a first path; and rotating a second upper arm of a second arm assembly of the robot, wherein the rotating causes a second end effector of the second arm assembly to move along a second path, wherein the first end effector and the second end effector do not overlap when moving along the respective first and second paths.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Muthukamatchi Karuppasamy
• Hudgens Jeffrey C
• Cox Damon K

Classifications

• H10P72/3302

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• B25J9/043 Primary

  double selective compliance articulated robot arms [SCARA] · CPC title

• B25J9/04 Primary

  by rotating at least one arm, excluding the head movement itself, e.g. cylindrical coordinate type or polar coordinate type · CPC title

• B25J9/06

  characterised by multi-articulated arms · CPC title

• B25J15/0014

  having fork, comb or plate shaped means for engaging the lower surface on a object to be transported · CPC title