Abstract: A motor assembly comprises a composite housing having a core of sprayed magnetic particles and a winding on the core; and a rotor having a magnet located thereon, the rotor being rotatably mounted within the winding. The core of sprayed magnetic particles comprises particles of an iron-containing material that when deposited results in an aggregate of small micro-domains separated by insulation boundaries.

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: A substrate transport apparatus including a frame, a drive section connected to the frame and including at least one independently controllable motor, at least two substrate transport arms connected to the frame and comprising arm links arranged for supporting and transporting substrates, and a mechanical motion switch coupled to the at least one independently controllable motor and the at least two substrate transport arms for effecting the extension and retraction of one of the at least two substrate transport arms while the other one of the at least two substrate transport arms remains in a substantially retracted configuration.

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 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: 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: A motor assembly comprises a composite housing having a core of sprayed magnetic particles and a winding on the core; and a rotor having a magnet located thereon, the rotor being rotatably mounted within the winding. The core of sprayed magnetic particles comprises particles of an iron-containing material that when deposited results in an aggregate of small micro-domains separated by insulation boundaries.

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.

Abstract: A substrate transport apparatus including a frame, a drive section connected to the frame and including at least one independently controllable motor, at least two substrate transport arms connected to the frame and comprising arm links arranged for supporting and transporting substrates, and a mechanical motion switch coupled to the at least one independently controllable motor and the at least two substrate transport arms for effecting the extension and retraction of one of the at least two substrate transport arms while the other one of the at least two substrate transport arms remains in a substantially retracted configuration.

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: 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: A system for condition monitoring and fault diagnosis includes a data collection function that acquires time histories of selected variables for one or more of the components, a pre-processing function that calculates specified characteristics of the time histories, an analysis function for evaluating the characteristics to produce one or more hypotheses of a condition of the one or more components, and a reasoning function for determining the condition of the one or more components from the one or more hypotheses.

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 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.

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: 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 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 system for condition monitoring and fault diagnosis includes a data collection function that acquires time histories of selected variables for one or more of the components, a pre-processing function that calculates specified characteristics of the time histories, an analysis function for evaluating the characteristics to produce one or more hypotheses of a condition of the one or more components, and a reasoning function for determining the condition of the one or more components from the one or more hypotheses.

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.