US 11,894,252 B2
Substrate transport apparatus
Robert T. Caveney, Windham, NH (US); Ulysses Gilchrist, Reading, MA (US); and Alexander Krupyshev, Chelmsford, MA (US)
Assigned to Brooks Automation US, LLC, Chelmsford, MA (US)
Filed by Brooks Automation US, LLC, Chelmsford, MA (US)
Filed on Feb. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/172,128.
Application 16/197,107 is a division of application No. 14/568,742, filed on Dec. 12, 2014, granted, now 10,134,621, issued on Nov. 20, 2018.
Application 18/172,128 is a continuation of application No. 16/197,107, filed on Nov. 20, 2018, granted, now 11,587,813.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/917,056, filed on Dec. 17, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2023/0197493 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. H01L 21/677 (2006.01); B25J 9/04 (2006.01); B25J 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/67742 (2013.01) [H01L 21/67745 (2013.01); H01L 21/67748 (2013.01); B25J 9/041 (2013.01); B25J 11/0095 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0297 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A transfer apparatus comprising:
a frame forming a sealed chamber having a chamber atmosphere;
multiple arms connected to the frame and disposed within the sealed chamber, each arm having an independent drive axis for extending and retracting the respective arm;
an outside drive section located outside the sealed chamber and connected to the multiple arms for moving the multiple arms about a common axis; and
an inside drive section located inside the sealed chamber, the inside drive section including a sealed housing configured to hold a sealed atmosphere different than the chamber atmosphere;
wherein the sealed housing has different sealed portions distributed in the sealed chamber, the different sealed portions including a first sealed motor housing portion, for a first drive axis that moves at least one arm about a first axis of motion, and a second sealed motor housing portion sealed apart from the first sealed motor housing portion and providing a second drive axis that is different than the first drive axis, where the second drive axis moves the at least one arm along a second axis of motion that is different than the first axis of motion,
wherein the independent drive axis, the first drive axis, and second drive axis are each independent of each other and outside the sealed housing.