Persimmon Technologies Corporation

Scott Wilkas

Martin Hosek

Jacob P Lipcon

Sripati Sah

Itsui Yamayoshi

An apparatus including a drive; and a movable arm assembly connected to the drive. The movable arm assembly includes a first arm and a second arm, where the first arm includes a first upper arm, a first forearm and a first end effector, and where the second arm includes a second upper arm, a second forearm and a second end effector. The first end effector includes at least two first substrate holding areas. The second end effector includes at least two second substrate holding areas. The drive and the movable arm assembly are configured to prevent the movable arm assembly from passing over top sides of substrates located on the first and second substrate holding areas.

Dual arm with opposed dual end effectors and no vertical wafer overlap

An apparatus including a linear transport configured to move in a transport chamber along a straight path; a robot connected to the linear transport, where the robot includes a robot drive and a robot arm connected to the robot drive, where the robot arm is a dual-link arm having a first link connected to the robot drive and a second link forming an end effector for supporting a substrate thereon; a controller connected to the linear transport and to the robot drive, where the controller is configured to provide movement of the linear transport along the straight path at a same time as extension and retraction of the dual-link arm to thereby move the end effector into or out of a substrate process chamber or a substrate holding area while both the linear transport and the dual-link arm are moving.

Linear robot with two-link arm

An apparatus includes a platform configured to traverse a stationary base along a motion path; a drive coupled to the platform; and a movable arm assembly. The movable arm assembly includes a pivoting base connected to the drive, first and second linkages connected to the pivoting base, each linkage having links connected via rotary joints and each link having at least one end-effector. The platform is configured to traverse the stationary base along a motion path in two opposing directions and the drive and the movable arm assembly are configured to cause independent and simultaneous movement and transfer of substrates from at least one of a first substrate holding area, a second substrate holding area, a third substrate holding area, or a fourth substrate holding area into or from a respective substrate workstation.

Traversing robot with multiple end effectors

A substrate transport arm including a first link, a second link, a third link, and a mechanical transmission including a pulley. The third link includes an end effector configured to support a substrate thereon. The mechanical transmission is configured to control rotation of the third link on the second link as a function of an angle between the first and second links such that, as the first and second links are rotated relative to each other, the wrist joint follows a wrist path which includes a curved portion. Rotation of the third link relative to the second link is completely mechanically dependent upon rotational location of the second link on the first link. The rotation of the third link about the second link is mechanically constrained and limited by mechanical dependence based upon the function of the angle between the first and second links.

Substrate transport with unequal number of drive shafts and arm links

An apparatus includes a first arm comprising an unequal-link linkage having a first end effector; a second arm comprising an equal-link linkage having a second end effector; and a drive unit coupled to the first arm and the second arm, the drive unit being configured to move the first arm and the second arm. The first end effector is asymmetric to the second end effector. The first end effector is angled relative to the second end effector such that a first substrate support section on the first end effector is not positioned over or under a second substrate support section on the second end effector.

Asymmetric dual end effector robot arm

An apparatus including a controller; a robot drive; a robot arm connected to the robot drive, where the robot arm has links including an upper arm, a first forearm connected to a first end of the upper arm, a second forearm connected to a second opposite end of the upper arm, a first end effector connected to the first forearm and a second end effector connected to the second forearm; and a transmission connecting the robot drive to the first and second forearms and the first and second end effectors. The transmission is configured to rotate the first and second forearms relative to the upper arm and rotate the first and second end effectors on their respective first and second forearms. The upper arm is substantially rigid and movement of the upper arm by the robot drive moves both the first and second forearms in opposite directions.

Material handling robot

An apparatus including a drive having motors and coaxial drive shafts; an arm assembly having a first arm and a second arm; and a controller. The first arm includes a first upper arm, a first forearm, a first end effector, and a first transmission, where the first transmission includes a non-circular pulley, and where the first upper arm and the first forearm have unequal effective lengths. The second arm includes a second upper arm, a second forearm, a second end effector, and a second transmission, where the second upper arm and the second forearm have substantially equal effective lengths. The controller is configured to cause the drive to extend and retract the arms to move an upper substrate and a lower substrate on the substrate holding areas such that the arm assembly and upper substrate do not travel over the lower substrate.

An apparatus including at least one emitter configured to emit energy; at least one receiver configured to receive the emitted energy, where the at least one emitter is mounted on at least one of: a robot arm, an end effector of the robot arm, a substrate on the robot arm, or a substrate process module, where the at least one receiver is mounted on at least one of: the robot arm, the end effector of the robot arm, the substrate on the robot arm, or the substrate process module.

Radar based position measurement for robot systems

Disclosed herein is a method. The method includes moving a payload through a motion path proximate at least one sensor. Detecting edges of the payload such that at least three points on at least two edges are detected. Capturing a position when the at least one sensor detects at least one edge of the payload.

System and method for detection and correction of robot payload position

A substrate transport arm including a first link; a second link rotatably connected to the first link; a third link rotatably connected to the second link at a wrist joint; and a mechanical transmission having a pulley. The third link includes an end effector configured to support a substrate thereon. The mechanical transmission is connected to the third link to control rotation of the third link on the second link. The mechanical transmission is configured to control rotation of the third link as a function of an angle between the first and second links such that, as the first and second links are rotated relative to each other, the wrist joint follows a wrist path which includes a curved portion, and where a center of the substrate supported on the end effector is moved along a substantially straight substrate path as the wrist joint follows the curved portion.

Robot arm with unequal link lengths and variable non-linear wrist orientation

An apparatus including a drive having motors and at least two coaxial drive shafts; an arm connected to the drive, where the arm is configured to support at least one substrate thereon; and a transmission connected between the drive and the arm, where the transmission includes an eccentric bearing and a linkage, where the linkage is connected between a first one of the coaxial drive shafts and the arm, where the eccentric bearing is connected to a second one of the coaxial drive shafts, where the arm comprises an aperture, where the eccentric bearing is located in the aperture, and where the eccentric bearing is configured to contact the arm in the aperture.

High-precision, short travel two degree of freedom robot arm

An apparatus including a robot drive having motors and coaxial drive shafts connected to the motors; and a robot arm connected to the robot drive. The robot arm includes two upper arms, a first set of forearms connected to a first one of the upper arms, a second set of forearms connected to a second one of the upper arms and end effectors connected to respective ones of the forearms. The first and second upper arms are connected to respective first and second ones of the coaxial drive shafts. The first set of the forearms is mounted on the first upper arm and connected to a third one of the coaxial drive shafts by respective first and second drive belt assemblies. The second set of the forearms is mounted to the second upper arm and connected to a fourth one of the coaxial drive shafts by respective third and fourth drive belt assemblies.

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, MA, United States of America

Scott Wilkas