Abstract: A concentric-shaft rotational drive system for an articulated arm transfer device adaptable for imparting movement to an assembly inside a vacuum chamber wherein rotary movement is imparted to rotors inside the vacuum chamber by means of magnetic fields produced by stators outside the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: A system is provided for batch loading semiconductor wafers into a load lock from a portable carrier, for example, used for supporting and transporting a plurality of the wafers in spaced, stacked, relationship. The carrier is supported adjacent a chamber within the load lock. A multilevel end effector associated with the load lock chamber includes a plurality of spaced end effector sets, each set being adapted to support a wafer thereon and aligned with an associated wafer supported in the carrier. The plurality of wafers are engaged and simultaneously retrieved as a grouping, then held in the load lock chamber for subsequent transport, for example, one at a time, into an adjacent transport chamber for delivery to a specified one of a plurality of processing stations. A mini-environment may sealingly isolate the load lock chamber and the interior of the carrier from the surrounding atmosphere.

Abstract: A method and apparatus involving the application of an algorithm used for finding the time optimal trajectory for torque limited Industrial Robots, to achieve the operation of Cluster Tool Robots in an improved manner by modifying the applied algorithm through adding two additional constraints, i.e., jerk (the rate of change of acceleration) and the acceleration seen by the load. This modification renders it possible to create a robot arm trajectory that minimizes travel time by minimizing the excitation of uncontrolled resonances and avoiding command of an acceleration that would exceed the force of friction between a substrate holder on the end of the arm and a substrate held thereon by friction.

Abstract: A substrate transport apparatus having a movable arm assembly, two substrate holders and a coaxial drive shaft assembly. The movable arm assembly has a general X-shaped section that has its center connected to the coaxial drive shaft assembly. The substrate holders are connected to different pairs of arm sections of the X-shaped section. The coaxial drive shaft assembly moves the arms of the X-shaped section relative to each other to move the two substrate holders in reverse unison motion between extended and retracted positions.

Abstract: A system is provided for batch loading semiconductor wafers into a load lock from a portable carrier used for supporting a plurality of the wafers in spaced relationship and transporting them in a particle free environment. The carrier is supported adjacent a load lock chamber also having a particle free environment. A multilevel end effector associated with the load lock chamber includes a plurality of spaced end effector sets, each set being adapted to support a wafer thereon and aligned with an associated wafer supported in the carrier. The plurality of wafers are engaged and simultaneously retrieved as a grouping, then held in the load lock chamber for subsequent transport, one at a time, into an adjacent transport chamber for delivery to a specified one of a plurality of processing stations. A mini-environment sealingly isolates the load lock chamber and the interior of the carrier from the surrounding atmosphere.

Abstract: A system is provided for batch loading semiconductor wafers into a load lock from a portable carrier used for supporting a plurality of the wafers in spaced relationship and transporting them in a particle free environment. The carrier is supported adjacent a load lock chamber which also has a particle free environment. Wafers are retrieved from the carrier and then held in the load lock chamber for subsequent transport, one at a time, into an adjacent transport chamber for delivery to a specified one of a plurality of processing stations. A mini-environment sealingly isolates the load lock chamber and the interior of the carrier from the surrounding atmosphere. Mechanisms are provided for individually moving a carrier door and a load lock door between closed, sealed, positions and open positions, then as a unit to a parked position remote from the region between the carrier and the load lock chamber.

Abstract: A system is provided for batch loading semiconductor wafers into a load lock from a portable carrier used for supporting a plurality of the wafers in spaced relationship and transporting them in a particle free environment. The carrier is supported adjacent a load lock chamber which also has a particle free environment. A multilevel end effector associated with the load lock chamber includes a plurality of spaced end effector sets, each set being adapted to support a wafer thereon and aligned with an associated wafer supported in the carrier. The plurality of wafers are engaged and simultaneously retrieved as a grouping, then held in the load lock chamber awaiting further processing.

Abstract: Load transferring apparatus comprises a base member, a planar platform for supporting a load and a drive arm pivotally mounted on the base member for moving the platform in plane between a retracted position at which the platform assumes a first orientation and an extended position at which the platform assumes a second angularly transposed orientation while remaining substantially in the plane occupied when in the retracted position. The drive arm is fixed to a drive arm shaft which, in turn, is rotatably mounted on the base member. A constraining link extends between the base member and the platform and is generally parallel to the drive arm. An elevator drive is operable for moving the base member raised and lowered positions and a coupling drivingly connects the drive arm shaft to the drive shaft throughout a range of positions between the raised position and the lowered position. The base plate includes an upstanding stop plate.

Abstract: A substrate thermal conditioning apparatus with a chamber, a plate located in the chamber and a gas supply. The plate has a top heat transfer surface with grooves therealong. A substrate is placed on standoffs of the heat transfer surface and gas is pumped into the chamber. The plate is either heated or cooled to change the temperature of the substrate. Heat is transferred between the substrate and the plate primarily by gas conduction heating. Because of the grooves in the plate, the gas can be very quickly and uniformly distributed and evacuated between the substrate and the heat transfer surface.

Abstract: An articulated arm transfer device having a pair of upper arms and a pair of forearms. Each upper arm is rotatable at its shoulder end. Each forearm is rotatable at its wrist end. The elbow ends of the upper arms and the forearms are connected to each other by a link. The shoulder ends are mounted on a support in such a manner that one upper arm is rotated by a drive, and a holder for an object to be transferred is mounted on the wrist ends. The link includes shafts upon which the elbow ends are mounted. At least two S-bands connect the shafts in such a manner that rotation of one shaft in either direction causes rotation of the other shaft in the opposite direction. The elbow end of one upper arm is fixed to its shaft, while the elbow end of the other upper arm is rotatably mounted on its shaft.

Abstract: The end effector of a frog-leg robot is raised and lowered by using walking-beams to effect a vertical movement of the fore arms at the elbow joint.

Abstract: The presence of an article at a specified location is detected by measuring a change in capacitance which is caused by the placement of the article at the specified location. The device used for this measurement includes an oscillator the frequency whereof is rendered highly sensitive to the capacitance being measured by structure which includes a triaxial cable and by electrical circuitry which includes a voltage follower circuit.

Abstract: The temperature of articles in an "environmental" chamber is stabilized by evacuation of the "environmental" chamber, after having stabilized the temperature of such an article to approximate that of a controlled-temperature member spaced from the article by a small gap, to a pressure just sufficient to provide viscous gas behavior, adjusting the temperature of the article to closely match that of the member by gas conduction heat transfer across the gap, and evacuating the chamber to high vacuum.

Abstract: The temperature of articles in an "environmental" chamber is stabilized by evacuation of the "environmental" chamber, after having stabilized the temperature of such an article to approximate that of a controlled-temperature member spaced from the article by a small gap, to a pressure just sufficient to provide viscous gas behavior, adjusting the temperature of the article to closely match that of the member by gas conduction heat transfer across the gap, and evacuating the chamber to high vacuum.

Abstract: An articulated arm transfer device employs a pair of upper arms each upper arm being rotatable at its shoulder end, and a pair of forearms each forearm being rotatable at its wrist end. The elbow ends of each pair are connected to each other by a link means. The shoulder ends are mounted on a support in such a manner that one upper arm is rotated by a drive means, and holding means for an object to be transferred is mounted on the wrist ends. The link means includes shafts upon which the elbow ends are mounted and at least two S-bands connecting the shafts in such a manner that rotation of one shaft in either direction causes rotation of the other shaft in the opposite direction. The elbow end of one upper arm is fixed to its shaft, while the elbow end of the other upper arm is rotatably mounted on its shaft.

Abstract: An articulated arm transfer device employs a rhomboidal link structure defined by two separated pairs of forearms pivotally joined at the elbows and at the wrists. Each wrist supports a holding structure and the elbows are driven in mirror-image semicircular paths by a pair of upper arms which are superimmposed alternately under each pair of forearms as the upper arms are rotated about mutually adjacent shoulder joints. The motion is such that at any time one holding structure is moving rapidly between an extended position and a park position while the other holidng structure is slowly traveling a negligible distance between a park position and a retracted position.

Abstract: Valve mechanism for high-vacuum clean environments, wherein a slot aperture is closed by a gage having a lever. Motion of the gate which covers and uncovers the slot is imparted to the gate by longitudinal movement of the lever. Motion of the gate which seals and unseals the slot is imparted by pivoting movement of the level about a fulcrum near the center of the lever. The pivoting movement is imparted at a time different from that at which the longitudinal movement is imparted, and the pivoting movement may be imparted by means separate from that which imparts the longitudinal movement.

Abstract: In a material transfer device, an articulated arm assembly extends and retracts in a "froglike" motion to transfer an object between a plurality of locations. The articulated arm assembly is rotatable about a pivot point in a radial plane and can be raised or lowered in an axial direction to align the object with the intended destination. A greater degree of axial mobility may be provided, for example by a rotating lift screw. A vacuum chamber may be provided, with the arm assembly moving the object between locations in the chamber.