Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080204501 | INKJET PRINT HEAD PRESSURE REGULATOR - An apparatus for use with an inkjet delivery system that comprises a negative pressure mechanism proximate to an inkjet print head that is adapted to apply a negative pressure on ink residing at the inkjet print head, and a controller coupled to the negative pressure mechanism that is adapted to controllably set the negative pressure on the ink at the inkjet print head. | 08-28-2008 |
20100178135 | SYSTEMS, APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR MAKING AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION - Systems, apparatus and methods are disclosed for allowing electrical connection to an electrical end effector in a robot apparatus. In one aspect, an electrical coupling is adapted to provide electrical power to the electrical end effector in the vacuum chamber. The electrical coupling may include engaging electrical contacts. In some embodiments, at least one of the contacts may be suspended relative to a spring such that the engaging contacts do not rotate relative to each other during arm rotation of the robot. In other embodiments, inductively coupled coils are included. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 07-15-2010 |
20100178146 | SYSTEMS, APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR TRANSPORTING SUBSTRATES - A substrate transporting robot apparatus is disclosed which is adapted to transport a substrate to and from a chamber of an electronic device processing system. The apparatus may include an upper arm rotatable in an X-Y plane, a forearm rotatable relative to the upper arm in the X-Y plane, and a wrist member rotatable relative to the forearm in the X-Y plane, the wrist member including an end effector adapted to carry a substrate. The wrist member may be subjected to independent rotation such that various degrees of yaw may be imparted to the wrist member. In some aspects, the independent rotation is provided without a motive power device (e.g., motor) being provided on the arms or wrist member, i.e., the wrist member may be remotely driven. Systems and methods using the robot apparatus are also provided as are numerous other aspects. | 07-15-2010 |
20100178147 | ROBOT SYSTEMS, APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR TRANSPORTING SUBSTRATES - Substrate transport systems, apparatus and methods are described. The systems are adapted to efficiently put or pick substrates at a destination by rotating a boom linkage to a position adjacent to the destination and then actuating a robot assembly to put or pick the substrate at the destination. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 07-15-2010 |
20120045308 | Dual Arm Robot - A robot assembly for transporting a substrate is presented. The robot assembly having a first arm and a second arm supported by a column, the first arm further having a first limb, the first limb having a first set of revolute joint/line pairs configured to provide translation and rotation of the distalmost link of the first limb in the horizontal plane. The assembly further having a second arm further having a second limb, the second limb comprising a second set of revolute joint/link pairs configured to provide translation and rotation of a distalmost link of the second limb in the horizontal plane. The first limb and second limb further having proximal revolute joints having a common vertical axis of rotation and a proximal inner joint housed in a common housing. The assembly further having an actuator assembly coupled to the first set of revolute joint/link pairs and to the second set of revolute joint/link pairs to effect rotation and translation of the distalmost links of the first limb and the second limb, each of the first limb and the second limb defining, in conjunction with the actuator assembly, at least three degrees of freedom per limb, whereby the distal most links of the first limb and the second limb are independently horizontally translatable for extension and retraction. | 02-23-2012 |
20120063874 | LOW PROFILE DUAL ARM VACUUM ROBOT - Embodiments of dual arm substrate transfer robots are provided herein. In some embodiments, a dual arm substrate transfer robot may include a central actuator to rotate the transfer robot about a central axis; a linkage arm having a first end and a generally opposing second end, wherein the linkage arm is coupled to the central actuator proximate a center of the linkage arm between the first and second ends; a first forearm rotatably coupled to the first end of the linkage arm; a second forearm rotatably coupled to the second end of the linkage arm; a first forearm actuator to control the rotation of the first forearm with respect to the linkage arm; and a second forearm actuator to control the rotation of the second forearm with respect to the linkage arm, wherein the first and second forearm actuators are laterally offset from the central actuator. | 03-15-2012 |
20120321434 | SYSTEMS, APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR MAKING AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION TO A ROBOT - Systems, apparatus and methods are disclosed for allowing electrical connection to a robot apparatus. In one aspect, an electrical coupling is adapted to provide electrical power to the robot apparatus in the vacuum chamber. The electrical coupling may include engaging electrical contacts. In some embodiments, at least one of the contacts may be suspended relative to a spring such that the engaging contacts do not rotate relative to each other during arm rotation of the robot. In other embodiments, inductively coupled coils are included. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 12-20-2012 |
20130039726 | ROBOT SYSTEMS, APPARATUS, AND METHODS ADAPTED TO TRANSPORT SUBSTRATES IN ELECTRONIC DEVICE MANUFACTURING - Substrate transport systems, apparatus, and methods are described. The systems are adapted to efficiently put or pick substrates at a destination by rotating a boom linkage to a position adjacent to the destination and then independently actuating an upper arm link housing and one or more wrist members to put or pick one or more substrates at the destination wherein the wrist member is independently actuated relative to the forearm link housing and the motion of the forearm link member is kinematically linked to the motion of the upper arm link housing. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 02-14-2013 |
20130041505 | SYSTEMS HAVING MULTI-LINKAGE ROBOTS AND METHODS TO CORRECT POSITIONAL AND ROTATIONAL ALIGNMENT IN MULTI-LINKAGE ROBOTS - Methods of correction of rotational and linear misalignment in multi-link robots are provided. The method allows for precise orientation of an end effector to put or pick substrates at a target destination by correcting for both positional and rotational orientation errors. The method rotates a boom linkage to a position adjacent to the target destination, corrects for linear and rotational error by rotating a boom linkage as well as an upper arm link as well as extending or retracting a wrist member. Systems including long boom linkages are disclosed. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 02-14-2013 |
20130115028 | ROBOT SYSTEMS, APPARATUS, AND METHODS ADAPTED TO TRANSPORT DUAL SUBSTRATES IN ELECTRONIC DEVICE MANUFACTURING - Substrate transport systems and robot apparatus are described. The systems are adapted to efficiently pick or place a substrate at a destination by independently rotating an upper arm, a forearm, and dual wrist members relative to each other and a base. Methods of operating the robot apparatus are provided, as are numerous other aspects. | 05-09-2013 |
20130149076 | FULLY-INDEPENDENT ROBOT SYSTEMS, APPARATUS, AND METHODS ADAPTED TO TRANSPORT MULTIPLE SUBSTRATES IN ELECTRONIC DEVICE MANUFACTURING - Electronic device processing systems and robot apparatus are described. The systems are adapted to efficiently pick or place a substrate at a destination by independently rotating an upper arm, a forearm, a first wrist member, and a second wrist member relative to each other through co-axial drive shafts. Methods of operating the robot apparatus are provided, as are numerous other aspects. | 06-13-2013 |
20130272823 | ROBOT SYSTEMS, APPARATUS, AND METHODS HAVING INDEPENDENTLY ROTATABLE WAISTS - Electronic device processing systems and robot apparatus are described. The systems and apparatus are adapted to efficiently pick or place substrates into twin chambers by having independently rotatable first and second booms, and independently rotatable first and second upper arms, wherein each upper arm has a forearm, a wrist member, and an end effector adapted to carry a substrate coupled thereto. The boom members and upper arms are driven through co-axial drive shafts in some embodiments. Co-axial and non-coaxial drive motors are disclosed. Methods of operating the robot apparatus and processing systems are provided, as are numerous other aspects. | 10-17-2013 |
20140010625 | BOOM DRIVE APPARATUS, MULTI-ARM ROBOT APPARATUS, ELECTRONIC DEVICE PROCESSING SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR TRANSPORTING SUBSTRATES IN ELECTRONIC DEVICE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS - Boom drive apparatus for substrate transport systems and methods are described. The boom drive apparatus is adapted to drive one or more multi-arm robots rotationally mounted to the boom to efficiently put or pick substrates. The boom drive apparatus has a boom including a hub, a web, a first pilot above the web, and a second pilot below the web, a first driving member rotationally mounted to the first pilot, a second driving member rotationally mounted to the second pilot, a first driven member rotationally mounted to the boom above the a web, a second driven member rotationally mounted to the boom below the a web, and a first and second transmission members coupling the driving members to driven members located outboard on the boom. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 01-09-2014 |
20140150592 | MOTOR MODULES, MULTI-AXIS MOTOR DRIVE ASSEMBLIES, MULTI-AXIS ROBOT APPARATUS, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS AND METHODS - 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. | 06-05-2014 |
20140154038 | MULTI-AXIS ROBOT APPARATUS WITH UNEQUAL LENGTH FOREARMS, ELECTRONIC DEVICE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR TRANSPORTING SUBSTRATES IN ELECTRONIC DEVICE MANUFACTURING - Embodiments include multi-arm robots for substrate transport systems that include a boom, first and second forearms rotationally coupled to the boom, the second forearm being shorter than the first forearm, a first wrist member rotationally coupled to the first forearm, and a second wrist member rotationally coupled to the second forearm. Each of the boom, first and second forearms, and the first and second wrist members are configured to be independently rotated to carry out substrate motion profiles. Electronic device processing systems and methods of transporting substrates are described, as are numerous other aspects. | 06-05-2014 |
20140286736 | SYSTEMS, APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR TRANSPORTING SUBSTRATES IN ELECTRONIC DEVICE MANUFACTURING - An electronic device processing system is disclosed. The system includes a transfer chamber including facets and a plurality of single-entry process chambers coupled to the facets, wherein at least some process chambers are non-focalized process chambers, at least one load lock chamber, and a robot apparatus operable to transport substrates between the process chambers and the load lock chamber(s). Robot apparatus includes an upper arm, a forearm, and a wrist member adapted for independent rotation relative to the forearm about a wrist axis, and an end effector adapted to carry a substrate. Various degrees of yaw may be imparted to the wrist member in order to service the non-focalized process chambers. Systems and methods are also provided as are other aspects. | 09-25-2014 |
20140286741 | SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS AND ROBOT APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING SUBSTRATES IN ELECTRONIC DEVICE MANUFACTURING - Robot apparatus, substrate transport systems, and methods are described. The robot apparatus and systems are adapted to efficiently put or pick substrates at a destination by rotating a boom linkage to a position adjacent to the destination and then actuating robot assemblies to put or pick the substrates at the destination. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 09-25-2014 |