Abstract: A motor comprises a stator comprising at least one core; a coil wound on the at least one core of the stator; a rotor having a rotor pole and being rotatably mounted relative to the stator; and at least one magnet disposed between the rotor and the stator. The at least one core comprises a composite material defined by iron-containing particles having an alumina layer disposed thereon.

Abstract: An apparatus including a first device configured to support a substrate thereon; a first transport having the first device connected thereto, where the first transport includes: rails or maglev guides; a magnetic system configured to vertically space the first device over the rails or maglev guides with a gap between the first device and the rails or maglev guides, where the magnetic system comprises a first electromagnetic actuator at a first corner of a first side of the first device, a second electromagnetic actuator at a second corner of the first side of the first device, and a third electromagnetic actuator at a second opposite side of the first device, where the third electromagnetic actuator is not located proximate a corner of three sides of the first device; and a linear actuator configured to move the first device along the rails or maglev guides.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An apparatus including a first base plate, where the first base plate is configured to have at least one linear drive component and/or at least one power coupling component connected to a top side of the first base plate, where the first base plate is configured to be located inside a vacuum chamber; and a plurality of rails or transport guides on the top side of the first base plate. An end of the first base plate includes at least one alignment feature configured to align an end of the first base plate to an end of a second base plate. The first base plate is configured to provide, in combination with the second base plate, a structural platform inside the vacuum chamber for a robot drive to move in the vacuum chamber along the plurality of transport guides.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A transport apparatus including a drive with a drive axis and a first arm connected to the drive. The first arm includes a first link, a second link and an end effector connected in series with the drive. The end effector includes a substrate support section and a leg connecting the substrate support section to a wrist joint of the end effector with the second link. The leg has a first section connected to the wrist joint, a second section connected to the substrate support section, and a bend portion between the first and second sections such that the first and second sections are angled or offset relative to each other. Connection of the leg to the second link at the wrist joint is offset relative to a centerline of the substrate support section and offset relative to the drive axis.

Abstract: An apparatus including a first device configured to support at least one substrate thereon; and a first transport having the device connected thereto. The transport is configured to carry the device. The transport includes a plurality of supports which are movable relative to one another along a linear path; at least one magnetic bearing which at least partially couples the supports to one another. A first one of the magnetic bearings includes a first permanent magnet and a second magnet. The first permanent magnet is connected to a first one of the supports. A magnetic field adjuster is connected to the first support which is configured to move the first permanent magnet and/or vary influence of a magnetic field of the first permanent magnet relative to the second magnet.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An apparatus having a drive unit having a first drive axis rotatable about a first axis of rotation and a second drive axis rotatable about a second axis of rotation, the second drive axis being coaxial with and partially within the first drive axis and axially rotatable within the first drive axis. A robot arm has an upper arm connected to the drive unit at the first drive axis, a forearm coupled to the upper arm, the forearm being coupled to the upper arm at a first rotary joint and rotatable about the first rotary joint, the first rotary joint being actuatable by a first band arrangement coupled to the second drive axis, and an end effector coupled to the forearm, the end effector being coupled to the forearm at a second rotary joint and rotatable about the second rotary joint, the second rotary joint being actuatable by a second band arrangement coupled to the first rotary joint. The second band arrangement is configured to provide a variable transmission ratio.

Abstract: An apparatus including at least one drive; a first robot arm having a first upper arm, a first forearm and a first end effector. The first upper arm is connected to the at least one drive at a first axis of rotation. A second robot arm has a second upper arm, a second forearm and a second end effector. The second upper arm is connected to the at least one drive at a second axis of rotation which is spaced from the first axis of rotation. The first and second robot arms are configured to locate the end effectors in first retracted positions for stacking substrates located on the end effectors at least partially one above the another. The first and second robot arms are configured to extend the end effectors from the first retracted positions in a first direction along parallel first paths located at least partially directly one above the other.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A system for forming a bulk material having insulated boundaries from a metal material and a source of an insulating material is provided. The system includes a heating device, a deposition device, a coating device, and a support configured to support the bulk material. The heating device heats the metal material to form particles having a softened or molten state and the coating device coats the metal material with the insulating material from the source and the deposition device deposits particles of the metal material in the softened or molten state on the support to form the bulk material having insulated boundaries.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method including: locating a shaft of a rotor relative to a stator of a motor, locating a robot arm mount on the shaft, temporarily stationarily fixing the robot arm mount relative to the stator at a predetermined rotational location relative to the stator, and while the robot arm mount is temporarily stationarily fixed relative to the stator at the predetermined rotational location, stationarily fixing the robot arm mount to the shaft by a connection, where the connection allows the robot arm mount to be stationarily fixed to the shaft at one of a plurality of angular orientations.

Abstract: An apparatus including a robot drive, a first arm connected to the robot drive, and a second arm connected to the robot drive. The first arm includes a first upper arm, a first forearm and a first end effector. The second arm includes a second upper arm, a second forearm and a second end effector. The first and second upper arms are connected to a first drive shaft of the robot drive. The first and second upper arms are either a same member or two members stationarily connected to one another. While the first arm is being extended and retracted, straight movement of the first end effector is provided relative to the robot drive along an axis which intersects a drive axis of the robot drive, where a wrist joint of the first arm does not intersect the drive axis while the first arm is being extended and retracted.

Abstract: An apparatus including a frame, an optical sensor connected to the frame, and an environment separation barrier. The frame is configured to be attached to a housing of a motor assembly proximate an aperture which extends through the housing. The optical sensor comprises a camera. The environment separation barrier is configured to be connected to the housing at the aperture, where the environment separation barrier is at least partially transparent and located relative to the camera to allow the camera to view an image inside the housing through the environment separation barrier and the aperture.

Abstract: A motor comprises a stator comprising at least one core; a coil wound on the at least one core of the stator; a rotor having a rotor pole and being rotatably mounted relative to the stator; and at least one magnet disposed between the rotor and the stator. The at least one core comprises a composite material defined by iron-containing particles having an alumina layer disposed thereon.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a first induction section comprising a first core and a first coil on the first core. A second induction section comprises a second core and a second coil on the second core. The first core comprises rail extensions, where at least two of the rail extensions extend from opposite ends of the first core. The second core comprises shoe portions located at respective ones of the rail extensions, where a gap is provided between each of the rail extensions and respective ones of the shoe portion. The second induction section is configured to move relative to the first induction section in a path along the extensions. The first induction section is configured to induce current in the second induction section, including when the second core moves relative to the first core along the extensions, to provide a contactless induction coupling between the first induction section and the second induction section.