Apparatus for transferring substrates

1. An apparatus for transferring substrates, comprising:

a supporting member;

an elevating and rotating member installed to be elevated or descended and rotated on the upper side of the supporting member;

a transferring unit, which is installed on the elevating and rotating member, for making linear motions to transfer substrates when the elevating and rotating member moves;

a first arm with one end supported by the elevating and rotating member to be rotatable;

a second arm whose one end is supported by the transferring unit to be rotatable and whose other end is connected at an elbow joint with an other end of the first arm to be rotatable, wherein said elbow joint is formed by a driving shaft connecting the second arm with the first arm, said elbow joint pivoting about said driving shaft; and

an arm driving part including a motor connected to the driving shaft for first introducing driving movement to the first and second arm at the driving shaft to cause pivoting of the elbow joint to allow the first arm and the second arm to be folded or unfolded and thus removing a state of singularity by rotating the other end of the second arm based on the other end of the first arm to allow the second arm to be unfolded with the first arm even when the first arm and the second arm are arranged at an overlapped state while the first arm and the second arm move.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transferring unit includes:

a fixed member combined with the elevating and rotating member;

a sliding member installed on the fixed member to be slidable and slid by the second arm, wherein the sliding member supports one end of the second arm to be rotatable; and

multiple hands, which move with the sliding member by being combined with one sides thereof, for supporting the substrates.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the fixed member includes a first fixed member and a second fixed member;

wherein the sliding member includes a first sliding member installed on the first fixed member to be slidable and a second sliding member installed to the second fixed member to be slidable and located on the upper side of the first sliding member;

wherein the hands include multiple first hands combined with the first sliding member and multiple second hands combined with the second sliding member;

wherein one pair of the first arm and the second arm and the other pair of the first arm and the second arm face each other, placed across the transferring unit;

wherein one end of either of the first arms is supported by one side of the elevating and rotating member to be rotatable, and one end of the second arm connected with the either of the first arms is supported by the first sliding member to be rotatable; and

wherein one end of the other first arm is supported by the other side of the elevating and rotating member to be rotatable, and one side of the other second arm connected with the other first arm is supported by the second sliding member to be rotatable.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein motions of the either of the first arms and the second arm connected thereto and those of the other first arm and the other second arm connected thereto are mutually independent.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein guide rails and guide grooves that guide the motions of the sliding member are formed in the fixed member and the sliding member, and wherein the guide rails are inserted into and combined with the guide grooves.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first arm includes: a body in which the arm driving part is installed and whose either the upper side or the undersurface is opened; and a cover combined on the opened upper side or the opened undersurface of the body.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a sealing member is between the body and the cover.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a spacing member is between the elevating and rotating member and the transferring unit;

wherein a driving shaft for elevating and rotating the elevating and rotating member is installed inside the supporting member;

wherein paths are formed through the driving shaft, the elevating and rotating member, the spacing member, and the body; and

wherein cables for supplying external power to the arm driving part pass through the paths.

9. An apparatus for transferring substrates, comprising:

a supporting member;

an elevating and rotating member installed to be elevated or descended and rotated on the upper side of the supporting member;

a transferring unit, which is installed on the elevating and rotating member, for making linear motions to transfer substrates when the elevating and rotating member moves;

a first arm with one end supported by the elevating and rotating member to be rotatable;

a second arm whose one end is supported by the transferring unit to be rotatable and whose other end is connected at an elbow joint with an other end of, the first arm to be rotatable, wherein said elbow joint is formed by a driving shaft connecting the second arm with the first arm, said elbow joint pivoting about said driving shaft;

an arm driving part including a motor connected to the driving shaft for first introducing driving movement to the first and second arm at of the driving shaft to cause pivoting of the elbow joint to allow the first arm and the second arm to be folded or unfolded and thus removing a state of singularity by rotating the other end of the second arm based on the other end of the first arm to allow the second arm to be unfolded with the first arm when a virtual linear line connecting both ends of the first arm and that connecting both ends of the second arm are arranged at an overlapped state while the first arm and the second arm move,

wherein the second arm is formed with a material having a lower thermal expansion coefficient than the first arm.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first arm is formed with aluminum and the second arm is formed with steel.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a cooling system is installed in the first arm.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first arm includes: a body in which the arm driving part is installed and whose either the upper side or the undersurface is opened; and a cover combined on the opened upper side or the opened undersurface of the body.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a spacing member is between the elevating and rotating member and the transferring unit;

wherein a driving shaft for elevating and rotating the elevating and rotating member is installed inside the supporting member;

wherein paths are formed through the driving shaft, the elevating and rotating member, the spacing member, and the body; and

wherein cables for supplying external power to the arm driving part pass through the paths.