METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR EXTENDING THE REACH OF A DUAL SCARA ROBOT LINKAGE

• US 20080298945A1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Hudgens, Jeffrey C., Schaller, Jason M., Cox, Damon Keith, Freeman, Marvin L., Brodine, Jeffrey A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,016,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/744.7
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67742 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68707 the wafers being placed on a robot blade, or gripped by a gripper for conveyance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20305 Robotic arm

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for the use of a dual Selective Compliant Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) robot. In some embodiments two SCARAs are provided, each including an elbow joint, wherein the two SCARAs are vertically stacked such that one SCARA is a first arm and the other SCARA is a second arm, and wherein the second arm is adapted to support a first substrate, and the first arm is adapted to extend to a full length when the second arm supports the first substrate, and wherein the first substrate supported by the second arm is coplanar with the elbow joint of the first arm, and the second arm is further adapted to move concurrently in parallel (and/or in a coordinated fashion) with the first arm a sufficient amount to avoid interference between the first substrate and the elbow joint of the first arm. Numerous other embodiments are provided.

Claims

1. A dual Selective Compliant Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) robot comprising:

two SCARAs each including an elbow joint, wherein the two SCARAs are vertically stacked such that one SCARA is a first arm and the other SCARA is an second arm, and

wherein the second arm is adapted to support a first substrate, and the first arm is adapted to extend to a full length when the second arm supports the first substrate, and

wherein the first substrate supported by the second arm is coplanar with the elbow joint of the first arm, and the second arm is further adapted to move concurrently and coordinated with the first arm a sufficient amount to avoid interference between the first substrate and the elbow joint of the first arm.

2. The dual SCARA robot of claim 1 wherein the first arm is adapted to support a second substrate.

3. The dual SCARA robot of claim 1 wherein the second arm is capable of extending to a full length.

4. The dual SCARA robot of claim 3 wherein the full length extension is less than the sufficient amount to avoid interference.

5. The dual SCARA robot of claim 1 wherein the concurrent movement of the second arm and first arm is synchronous.

6. The dual SCARA robot of claim 1 wherein the first and second arms are adapted to retract from the full length extension and from the sufficient amount to avoid interference.

7. The dual SCARA robot of claim 6 wherein the retraction is synchronous.

12. The dual SCARA robot of claim 1 wherein the first and second arms are adapted to retract.

13. The dual SCARA robot of claim 12 wherein the retraction is synchronous.

8. A dual Selective Compliant Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) robot comprising:

two SCARAs each including an elbow joint, wherein one SCARA is a first arm and the other SCARA is an second arm, and

wherein the first and second arms are adapted to reach into a same slit valve, and

wherein the second arm is adapted to support a substrate, and the first arm is adapted to extend to a full length while the second arm supports the substrate, and

wherein the substrate supported by the second arm is coplanar with the elbow joint of the first arm, and the second arm is further adapted to move concurrently and coordinated with the first arm a sufficient amount to avoid interference between the substrate and the elbow joint of the first arm.

9. The dual SCARA robot of claim 8 wherein the first arm is adapted to support a second substrate.

10. The dual SCARA robot of claim 8 wherein the second arm is capable of extending to a full length.

11. The dual SCARA robot of claim 8 wherein the concurrent movement of the first arm and the second arm is synchronous.

14. A method comprising:

providing a dual SCARA robot including a first and second arm;

supporting a first substrate on an end effector coupled to the second arm of the SCARA robot;

extending the first arm of the SCARA robot to the first arm'"'"'s full length; and

moving the second arm concurrently with the extending first arm, wherein the second arm is moved a sufficient amount to avoid interference between the first substrate and the first arm.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first arm is extended to receive a second substrate on an end effector coupled to the first arm.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

depositing the first substrate into a processing chamber.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

retracting the first and second arms synchronously.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

retracting the first and second arms in parallel.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising extending the second arm a full length when the first arm is retracted.

20. A system comprising:

one or more transfer chambers, wherein each of the one or more transfer chambers has one or more dual SCARA robots disposed there;

one or more processing chambers connected to the one or more transfer chambers;

at least one factory interface connected to the one or more transfer chambers; and

wherein each of the one or more dual SCARA robots comprises a first arm and a second arm, wherein the second arm is adapted to support a substrate; and

the first arm is adapted to extend to a full length when the second arm supports the substrate, wherein the substrate supported by the second arm is coplanar with an elbow joint of the first arm, and the second arm is further adapted to move concurrently and coordinated with the first arm a sufficient amount to avoid interference between the substrate and the elbow joint of the first arm.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising a controller.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the controller is adapted to control the movement of the first and second arms.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the concurrent movement of the first arm and second arm is synchronous.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein the first and second arms are adapted to retract.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the retraction is in parallel and synchronous.