Dual scara arm
View Patent ↗A substrate transport apparatus having a drive section and a scara arm operably connected to the drive section to move the scara arm. The scara arm has an upper arm and at least one forearm. The forearm is movably mounted to the upper arm and capable of holding a substrate thereon. The upper arm is substantially rigid and is adjustable for changing a predetermined dimension of the upper arm.
1. A substrate transport apparatus comprising:
a drive section; and
a scara arm operably connected to the drive section to move the scara arm, the scara arm comprising:
an upper arm and at least two forearms movably mounted on the upper arm and capable of holding a substrate thereon,
wherein the upper arm includes a first arm section and a second arm section that are releasably coupled to each other at a common axis of rotation to form a substantially rigid link where the first and second arm sections are incapable of movement relative to one another during substrate transport, each of the arm sections having at least one of the at least two forearms movably mounted thereon and wherein the releasable coupling adjustably joins the arm sections to each other at the common axis of rotation for changing a predetermined dimension of the upper arm.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first arm section and the second arm section each have a coupling interface with indexing positions thereon allowing the first arm section and second arm section of the upper arm to be positionally indexed relative to each other.
3. A substrate transport apparatus comprising:
a drive section; and
a scara arm operably connected to the drive section to move the scara arm, the scara arm comprising:
an upper arm and at least one forearm movably mounted on each of the substantially opposite sides of the upper arm and capable of holding a substrate thereon,
wherein the upper arm is a substantially rigid link having first and second arm sections that are adjustably joined at a common axis of rotation for changing a predetermined dimension of the upper arm, where the first and second arm sections form respective ones of the substantially opposite sides of the upper arm,
wherein a coupling interface of the first arm section and a coupling interface of the second arm section include indexing positions thereon and allow the first arm section and second arm section to be positionally indexed relative to each other, the coupling interfaces define the adjustable coupling at least in part, and wherein the indexing positions are defined by being mechanically engaged fasteners.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustable coupling allows the first arm section and the second arm section to be adjustably positioned relative to each other.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustable coupling defines the common axis of rotation, and wherein the first arm section and second arm section are rotatable relative to each other about the common axis of rotation when adjusting positions of the first arm section and second arm section relative to each other.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drive section defines an axis of rotation substantially collinear with the common axis of rotation, the scara arm being mounted to the drive section to rotate relative to the drive section about the axis of rotation.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the first arm section and the second arm section of the upper arm are positioned to extend on opposite sides of the axis of rotation.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drive section has three independent rotating drive axes for driving the scara arm.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the three drive axes are substantially co-axial with each other.
10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the first arm section and the second arm section respectively define opposite ends of the upper arm, and wherein one of the three drive axes is located to extend through an end of the first arm section defining an end of the upper arm and another of the three drive axes is located to extend through an end of the second arm section defining an opposite end of the upper arm.
11. A substrate transport apparatus comprising:
a drive section; and
a scara arm operably connected to the drive section to move the scara arm, the scara arm comprising:
an upper arm and at least two forearms movably mounted on the upper arm and capable of holding a substrate thereon,
wherein the upper arm includes a first substantially rigid arm section and a second substantially rigid arm section that are incapable of movement relative to one another during substrate transport, each of the first substantially rigid arm section and the second substantially rigid arm section having at least one of the at least two forearms movably mounted thereon, and a releasable coupling releasably attaching the first and second substantially rigid arm sections to each other at a common axis of rotation, wherein, when released, the first arm section is movable about the common axis of rotation relative to the second arm section for changing a predetermined dimension of the upper arm.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the upper arm has a bent shape defined by the first arm section and the second arm section.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein a bend in the upper arm formed by the first arm section and the second arm section is adjustable for effecting a predetermined scara arm reach to substrate apparatus footprint ratio.
14. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the drive section defines an axis of rotation substantially collinear with the common axis of rotation, the scara arm being mounted to the drive section to rotate about the axis of rotation relative to the drive section.
15. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the first arm section and the second arm section extend on opposite sides of the axis of rotation.
16. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the at least two forearms are movably mounted respectively to the upper arm at opposite ends of the upper arm.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein a first of the two forearms is pivotally joined to the first arm section of the upper arm forming a first elbow joint of the scara arm, and wherein a second of the two forearms is pivotally joined to the second arm section of the upper arm forming a second elbow joint of the scara arm.
18. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein each forearm has a respective end effector depending therefrom.
19. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the drive section has three independent rotation drive axes.
20. The apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the tree drive axes of the drive section are disposed substantially co-axially with each other and define the axis of rotation.
21. The apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the drive section comprises three rotating drive motors each generating a corresponding one of the three independent drive axes, and wherein at least one of the three drive motors is operably connected to the at least one forearm for rotating the at least one forearm relative to the upper arm, and the at least one drive motor is carried by the first arm section of the upper arm.
22. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an end effector movably mounted on each of the at least one forearm at a respective wrist joint, each end effector being configured to hold multiple substrates.
23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein
each end effector comprises a row of substrate supports.
24. The apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
an end effector movably mounted on each of the at least one forearm at a respective wrist joint, each end effector being configured to hold multiple substrates.
25. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein each end effector comprises a row of substrate supports.
26. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the upper arm includes the common axis of rotation and at least one elbow axis of rotation, the at least one elbow axis of rotation being disposed substantially at a respective end of the upper arm wherein, the at least one forearm rotates relative to the upper arm about a respective one of the at least one elbow axis of rotation and the substantially rigid upper arm links the common axis of rotation and each of the at least one elbow axis of rotation and is incapable of bending between the common axis of rotation and each of the at least one elbow axis of rotation.