Motor modules, multi-axis motor drive assemblies, multi-axis robot apparatus, and electronic device manufacturing systems and methods

• US 9,742,250 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Kremerman, Izya
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Kawing
• Application Number:
  US14/090,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20140150592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 79490, 7947901, 79469, 29596, 295921, 29592, 310112, 310 40 R, 310 10
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0095 Manipulators transporting wafers
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/042 comprising an articulated arm
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/126 Rotary actuators
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67703 between different workstations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67742 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 16/00 Machines with more than one rotor or stator machines for transmitting mechanical power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft and comprising structurally interrelated motor and generator parts H02K51/00; permanent magnet machines with multiple rotors or stators relatively rotated for vectorially combining the excitation fields or the armature voltages H02K21/029
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2213/12 Machines characterised by the modularity of some components
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/128 using air-gap sleeves or air-gap discs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/23 Electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49009 Dynamoelectric machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20317 including electric motor

Abstract

Motor modules for multi-arm robot apparatus are described. The motor modules can be used individually or stacked and assembled to make up one-axis, 2-axis, 3-axis, 4-axis, 5-axis, 6-axis motor assemblies, or more. One or more of the motor modules have a stator assembly including a stator received in the stator housing, and a rotor assembly abutting the stator assembly, the rotor assembly including a rotor housing, a drive shaft, a bearing assembly supporting the drive shaft, and a rotor coupled to the drive shaft. A vacuum barrier member is positioned between the rotor and the stator. Multi-axis motor drive assemblies, multi-axis robot apparatus, electronic device manufacturing systems, and methods of assembling drive assemblies are described, as are numerous other aspects.

Claims

1. A motor module, comprising:

a stator assembly including a stator housing and a stator secured to the stator housing, the stator housing including a stator housing axial end;

a rotor assembly abutting the stator assembly along an axial axis and wherein a portion of the rotor assembly is received inside of the stator assembly, the rotor assembly including;

a rotor housing including a rotor housing axial end, wherein the rotor housing axial end abuts the stator housing axial end along the axial axis,

a drive shaft,

a bearing assembly supporting the drive shaft relative to the rotor housing, and

a rotor coupled to the drive shaft;

a vacuum barrier member positioned between the rotor and the stator; and

at least one registration feature comprising an annular lip located on a lower surface of the stator housing, the at least one registration feature configured to allow the motor module to be stacked in axial and rotational alignment above or below another motor module.

2. The motor module of claim 1, comprising a first encoder element coupled to the rotor housing.

3. The motor module of claim 1, comprising a second encoder element coupled to the drive shaft.

4. The motor module of claim 1, wherein the vacuum barrier member comprises an annular sleeve.

5. The motor module of claim 4, wherein the annular sleeve seals against the stator housing and the rotor housing at ends of the annular sleeve.

6. The motor module of claim 4, wherein the annular sleeve extends between the stator housing and the rotor housing.

7. The motor module of claim 1, wherein the stator assembly comprises:

a first stator and a second stator, and

the second stator is received adjacent to the first stator in the stator housing.

8. The motor module of claim 1, wherein the rotor assembly comprises a first rotor assembly coupled to the stator assembly on a first side, and a second rotor assembly coupled to the stator assembly on a second side.

9. The motor module of claim 8, wherein the annular sleeve extends between the rotor housing of the first rotor assembly, and a second rotor housing of the second rotor assembly.

10. The motor module of claim 1, wherein the rotor assembly comprises a rotor support coupled to the rotor.

11. A multi-axis motor drive assembly, comprising:

a first motor module including a stator assembly including a first stator housing having a first stator axial end and a first stator secured to the first stator housing, and a rotor assembly abutting the stator assembly including a first rotor housing including a first rotor housing axial end, a first drive shaft, a first bearing assembly supporting the drive shaft relative to the first rotor housing, a first rotor coupled to the first drive shaft and rotatable about an axial axis, and a vacuum barrier member positioned between the rotor and the stator, wherein the first rotor housing axial end abuts the first stator housing axial end along the axial axis; and

a second motor module having at least one registration feature comprising an annular lip configured to allow the second motor module to be stacked in axial and rotational alignment above or below the first motor module or another of the second motor module,

wherein combinations of the first motor module, the second motor module, or both, are assembled to produce a two-axis, three-axis motor, four-axis motor, five-axis motor, or six-axis motor.

12. The multi-axis motor drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the first motor module consists of one-axis capability;

and a second motor module consists of two-axis capability.

13. The multi-axis motor drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the first motor module consists of one-axis capability;

and a second motor module consists of two-axis capability, and the multi-axis drive assembly consists of a three-axis motor.

14. The multi-axis motor drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the first motor module consists of one-axis capability, the second motor module consists of two-axis capability, a third motor module consists of two-axis capability, and the multi-axis drive assembly consists of a five-axis motor.

15. The multi-axis motor drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the second motor module comprises:

a second stator assembly including a second stator housing having a second stator housing axial end and a second stator secured to the second stator housing;

a second rotor assembly abutting the second stator assembly and including;

a second rotor housing including a second rotor housing axial end,

a second drive shaft,

a second bearing assembly supporting the second drive shaft relative to the second rotor housing, and

a second rotor coupled to the second drive shaft; and

a vacuum barrier member positioned between the second rotor and the second stator, wherein the second rotor housing axial end abuts the second stator housing axial end along the axial axis.

16. The multi-axis motor drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the second motor module includes a rotor assembly, the rotor assembly comprising:

a first rotor assembly coupled to a stator assembly on a first side, and

a second rotor assembly coupled to the stator assembly on a second side opposite the first side.

17. The multi-axis motor drive assembly of claim 11, wherein the second motor module includes a stator assembly, comprising:

a first stator; and

a second stator,

wherein the second stator is received adjacent to the first stator in a stator housing.

18. A multi-axis robot apparatus, comprising:

one or more robot arms;

a first motor module having one-axis capability coupled to the one or more first robot arms of the one or more robot arms, the first motor module including an axial axis, a first stator housing including a first stator axial end, and a first rotor housing including a first rotor axial end, wherein the first stator housing axial end abuts the first rotor housing axial end along the axial axis; and

a second motor module having two-axis capability coupled to and adapted to move one or more second robot arms of the one or more robot arms, wherein;

the first motor module has at least one registration feature comprising an annular lip located on a lower surface of the first stator housing configured to allow the first motor module to be stacked in axial and rotational alignment above or below the second motor module.

19. An electronic device processing system, comprising:

a transfer chamber;

a robot apparatus including robot arms received in the transfer chamber and one or more motor modules coupled to the robot arms, at least one motor module including;

a stator assembly including a stator housing and a stator secured to the stator housing, the stator housing including a stator housing axial end;

a rotor assembly abutting the stator assembly and including;

a rotor housing including a rotor housing axial end, wherein the stator housing axial end abuts the rotor housing axial end,

a drive shaft,

a bearing assembly supporting the drive shaft relative to the rotor housing, and

a rotor coupled to the drive shaft;

a vacuum barrier member positioned between the rotor and the stator; and

at least one registration feature comprising an annular lip located on a lower surface of the stator housing, the at least one registration feature configured to allow the at least one motor module to be stacked in axial and rotational alignment above or below another of the one or more motor modules.

20. A method of assembling a multi-axis drive assembly, comprising:

providing a first motor module consisting of one-axis capability and including a stator housing and a stator secured to the stator housing, the stator housing including a stator housing axial end, and a rotor housing including a rotor housing axial end, wherein the stator housing axial end abuts the rotor housing axial end, and a first registration feature comprising an annular lip located on a lower surface of the stator housing is configured to allow the first motor module to be stacked in axial and rotational alignment;

providing a second motor module consisting of two-axis capability and having a second registration feature configured to allow the second motor module to be stacked in axial and rotational alignment; and

assembling one or more of the first motor module to one or more of the second motor module via the first registration feature and the second registration feature to form the multi-axis motor assembly.