Robot drive and wireless data coupling
An apparatus including a movable arm; a robot drive connected to the movable arm; and a heat transfer system. The robot drive includes a first drive configured to extend and retract the movable arm and a second drive configured to move the movable arm and the first drive along a linear path. The heat transfer system includes a first heat transfer member on the base and a second heat transfer member, where the heat transfer system is configured to transfer heat from the first drive to the first heat transfer member and then from the first heat transfer member to the second heat transfer member. The first heat transfer member travels with the base, and the first heat transfer member moves relative to the second heat transfer member as the base moves relative to the slide.
1. A transport apparatus comprising:
an arm configured to move a substrate thereon;
a motor configured to drive the arm; and
a motor control coupling connected to the motor,
wherein the transport apparatus is configured to be located inside a chamber and be horizontally movable within the chamber,
wherein the motor control coupling is configured to receive first signals from a controller located outside of the chamber, generate second signals configured to be used with the motor to move the arm based at least partially upon the first signals from the controller, and send the second signals to the motor, and
wherein the motor control coupling is configured to communicate with the controller located outside of the chamber using at least one wireless communication device.
2. A transport apparatus as in claim 1 where the at least one wireless communication device comprises a first optical communication device connected to the motor.
3. A transport apparatus as in claim 2 where the at least one wireless communication device comprises a second optical communication device connected to the chamber, where the first and second optical communication devices are configured to optically interface with each other.
4. A transport apparatus as in claim 3 where the first and second optical communication devices are configured to optically interface with each other as the motor and arm move horizontally along an axis of motion inside the chamber.
5. A transport apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising the chamber, where the motor is located in an enclosure on a base of the transport apparatus, where the base is horizontally movable inside the chamber.
6. A transport apparatus as in claim 5 where the chamber has a different atmospheric pressure therein than an atmospheric pressure inside the enclosure.
7. An apparatus comprising:
the transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ; and
the chamber, where the chamber has the transport apparatus connected to the chamber, where the chamber is configured to have at least one substrate processing module connected thereto, and where the chamber is configured to at least partially provide an isolated environment inside the chamber which the chamber at least partially isolates from an environment outside of the chamber.
8. An apparatus comprising:
a chamber;
a robot comprising a robot arm and a robot motor, where the robot motor is configured to move the robot arm;
a robot drive connecting the robot to the chamber, where the robot drive is configured to move the robot in a horizontal direction inside the chamber;
a first wireless communication device connected to the chamber; and
a second wireless communication device connected to the robot,
where the first wireless communication device is configured to wirelessly transmit signals to the second wireless communication device, and where the robot is configured to use the signals received by the second wireless communication device to control movement of the robot motor.
9. An apparatus as in claim 8 where the robot drive is located in an airtight enclosure on a movable base of the robot drive.
10. An apparatus as in claim 9 where the airtight enclosure is located in the chamber.
11. An apparatus as in claim 10 where the chamber is configured to have at least one substrate processing module connected thereto, and where the chamber is configured to at least partially provide an isolated environment inside the chamber which the chamber at least partially isolates from an environment outside of the chamber, and where the airtight enclosure is configured to allow for a different pressure inside the enclosure than a pressure inside the chamber.
12. An apparatus as in claim 8 where the first wireless communication device is an optical wireless communication device.
13. An apparatus comprising:
a chamber;
a robot motor;
a robot drive, where the robot motor is connected to the chamber with to the robot drive, and where the robot drive is configured to move the robot motor in a horizontal direction inside the chamber;
a robot arm connected to the robot motor, where the robot motor is configured to move the robot arm; and
a first portion of a communications coupling connected to the robot motor, where the first portion of the communications coupling is configured to move with the robot motor in the horizontal direction inside the chamber, where the first portion of the communications coupling is configured to send movement drive signals to the robot motor, and where the first portion of the communications coupling is configured to wirelessly communicate with a second portion of the communications coupling located outside of the chamber, where the first portion of the communications coupling is configured to wirelessly communicate with the second portion of the communications coupling for a plurality of different horizontal locations of the first portion of the communications coupling inside the chamber.
14. An apparatus as in claim 13 where the robot motor is located in an airtight enclosure.
15. An apparatus as in claim 14 where the airtight enclosure is located in the chamber.
16. An apparatus as in claim 14 where the robot drive comprises a base mounted to the chamber by slides, where the robot motor is mounted on the base, and where the slides provide a horizontal path for the robot drive to move the robot motor in the horizontal direction inside the chamber.
17. An apparatus as in claim 15 where the chamber is configured to have at least one substrate processing module connected thereto, and where the chamber is configured to at least partially provide an isolated environment inside the chamber, which the chamber at least partially isolates from an environment outside of the chamber, and where the airtight enclosure is configured to allow for a different pressure therein than a pressure inside the chamber.
18. An apparatus as in claim 13 where the first portion of the communications coupling is a first optical wireless communication device.
19. An apparatus as in claim 18 further comprising the second portion of the communications coupling connected to the chamber, where the second portion of the communications coupling is a second optical wireless communication device configured to interface with the first optical wireless communication device.
20. A method comprising:
connecting a robot to a chamber with a robot drive, where the chamber is configured to have at least one substrate processing module connected thereto, where the chamber is configured to at least partially provide an isolated environment inside the chamber which the chamber at least partially isolates from an environment outside of the chamber, where the robot drive is configured to move the robot in a horizontal direction inside the chamber, where the robot comprising a robot arm and a robot motor, and where the robot motor is configured to move the robot arm;
connecting a first wireless communication device to the chamber outside of the chamber; and
connecting a second wireless communication device to the robot, where the first wireless communication device is configured to wirelessly transmit motor control signals to the second wireless communication device, and where the robot is configured to use the motor control signals received by the second wireless communication device to control movement of the robot motor.
21. A method comprising:
providing a robot inside a chamber, where the chamber is configured to have at least one substrate processing module connected thereto, where the chamber is configured to at least partially provide an isolated environment inside the chamber which the chamber at least partially isolates from an environment outside of the chamber, where the robot is connected to the chamber by a robot drive configured to move the robot in a horizontal direction along a linear length inside the chamber, where the robot comprising a robot arm and a robot motor, where the robot motor is configured to move the robot arm, where a first wireless communication device is located outside of the chamber, and where a second wireless communication device is connected to the robot; and
transmitting signals wirelessly from the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device; and
based upon the signals transmitted from the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, at least partially controlling movement of the robot motor at different linear locations of the robot along the linear length inside the chamber.