Dual scara arm

• US 20060099063A1
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brooks Automation Ltd. (United Kingdom) (Azenta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brooks Automation Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilchrist, Ulysses, Pietrantonio, Antonio F., Almali, Hakan, Chesna, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,376,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/744.5
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 18/00 Arms
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/042 comprising an articulated arm
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/043 double selective compliance articulated robot arms [SCARA]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/677 for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
• 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: Y10S 901/15 Jointed arm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/27 Arm part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20305 Robotic arm

Abstract

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.

Claims

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 one forearm movably mounted on the upper arm and capable of holding a substrate thereon,

wherein the upper arm is a substantially rigid link that is adjustable for changing a predetermined dimension of the upper arm.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper arm has a first arm section and a second arm section adjustably connected to each other by an adjustable coupling.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, 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.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the coupling interface of the first arm section and the coupling interface of the second arm section define the adjustable coupling at least in part, and wherein the indexing positions are capable of being mechanically engaged by fasteners.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the adjustable coupling allows the first arm section and the second arm section to be adjustably positioned relative to each other.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the adjustable coupling defines a coupling axis of rotation, and wherein the first arm section and second arm section are rotatable relative to each other about the coupling axis of rotation when adjusting positions of the first arm section and second arm section relative to each other.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the drive section defines an axis of rotation, the scara arm being mounted to the drive section to rotate relative to the drive section about the axis of rotation.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, 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.

9. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the drive section has three independent rotating drive axes for driving the scara arm.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the three drive axes are substantially co-axial with each other.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, 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.

12. 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 the upper arm and capable of holding a substrate thereon,

wherein the upper arm is substantially rigid having a first substantially rigid arm section releasably attached to a second substantially rigid arm section, wherein, when released, the first arm section is movable relative to the second arm section for changing a predetermined dimension of the upper arm.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the upper arm has a bent shape defined by the first arm section and the second arm section.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, 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.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the drive section defines an axis of rotation, the scara arm being mounted to the drive section to rotate about the axis of rotation relative to the drive section.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first arm section and the second arm section extend on opposite sides of the axis of rotation.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the at least one forearm comprises two forearms movably mounted respectively to the upper arm at opposite ends of the upper arm.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, 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.

19. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein each forearm has a respective end effector depending therefrom.

20. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the drive section has three independent rotation drive axes.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the tree drive axes of the drive section are disposed substantially co-axially with each other and define the axis of rotation.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, 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.

23. A substrate transport apparatus comprising:

a drive section defining a first axis of rotation; and

a scara arm movably connected to the drive section, the scara arm comprising;

an upper arm pivotally joined to the drive section to rotate about the first axis of rotation relative to the drive section, the upper arm being an elongated substantially rectilinear member terminating at opposite ends, the upper arm being located relative to the drive section so that the first axis of rotation is at one end of the opposite ends of the upper arm;

a first forearm, having a first end effector depending therefrom, and being pivotally joined to the upper arm at another end of the opposite ends of the upper arm, a joint between the first forearm and the upper arm defining a first elbow joint of the scara arm; and

a second forearm, having a second end effector depending therefrom, and being pivotally joined to the upper arm at a same end of the opposite ends of the upper arm as the first forearm, another joint between the second forearm and the upper arm defining a second elbow joint of the scara arm,

wherein the first elbow joint and second elbow joint are independent of each other.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the first elbow joint defines a second axis of rotation, and the second elbow joint defines a third axis of rotation, and wherein the second axis of rotation is radially closer to the first axis of rotation than the third axis of rotation.

25. A substrate transport apparatus comprising:

a drive section defining a first axis of rotation; and

a scara arm movably connected to the drive section, the scara arm comprising;

an upper arm pivotally joined to the drive section to rotate about the first axis of rotation relative to the drive section; and

a pair of forearms, each having a corresponding end effector depending therefrom and being independently pivotally joined to the upper arm at an end of the upper arm, wherein each of the pair of forearms is pivotal relative to the upper arm about independent offset axes of rotation, and wherein the independent offset axes of rotation are disposed relative to the upper so that rotation of the upper arm about the first axis, to extend or retract at least one of the end effectors, moves the independent axes of rotation in the same axial direction away or towards the first axis of rotation.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the pair of end effectors are joined to a common end of the upper arm.