Methods and apparatus for extending the reach of a dual scara robot linkage

• US 8,016,542 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Schaller, Jason M., Cox, Damon Keith, Freeman, Marvin L., Hudgens, Jeffrey C., Brodine, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): UNDERWOOD, DONALD W
• Application Number:
  US12/129,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20080298945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 414/744.5, 901/15, 901/8, 744/900.1
• US Class Current: 414/744.5
• 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 a second arm,

a first end effector coupled to the first arm and a second end effector coupled to the second arm; and

wherein the second end effector of the second arm supports a first substrate, and the first arm extends to a full length when the second end effector of the second arm supports the first substrate, and

a controller,

wherein the second end effector of the second arm supporting the first substrate is coplanar with the elbow joint of the first arm such that the first substrate is coplanar with the elbow joint of the first arm, and the controller controls the second arm, second end effector and the first substrate supported thereon to move in a same direction 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 end effector of 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 of the second arm avoids interference between the elbow joint of the second arm and a second substrate supported by the first arm.

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 arm is adapted to retract from the full length extension and the second arm is adapted to retract 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,

a first end effector coupled to the first arm and a second end effector coupled to the second arm, and

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

wherein the second end effector of the second arm supports a first substrate, and the first end effector of the first arm extends to a full length while the second end effector of the second arm supports the first substrate, and

a controller,

wherein the second end effector of the second arm supporting the first substrate is coplanar with the elbow joint of the first arm such that the first substrate is coplanar with the elbow joint of the first arm, and the controller controls the second arm, and second end effector with the first substrate supported thereon to move in a same direction 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.

9. The dual SCARA robot of claim 8 wherein the first end effector of 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;

providing a first end effector coupled to the first arm and a second end effector coupled to the second arm;

supporting a first substrate on the second 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

controlling a sequence of the first and second robot arms, wherein moving the second arm concurrently and in a same direction with the extending first arm moves the second arm with the first substrate supported on the second end effector a sufficient amount to avoid interference between the first substrate on the second end effector and a coplanar elbow joint of the first arm.

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

a controller adapted to operate the one or more dual SCARA robots,

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

the first arm is adapted to extend to a full length when the second end effector of the second arm supports the substrate, wherein the second end effector of the second arm supporting the substrate is coplanar with an elbow joint of the first arm such that the substrate is coplanar with the elbow joint of the first arm, and the controller controls the second arm, and second end effector with the substrate supported thereon to move in a same direction 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 wherein the controller is adapted to control the movement of the first and second arms.

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

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

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the retraction is in parallel and synchronous.