Substrate transport apparatus with integral power and data transmission

Abstract

A substrate transport apparatus includes: a base; an articulated arm connected to the base; and a power and data communication system is distributed through the articulated arm, wherein the power and data communication system has a wireless power and data communication interface routed through at least one rotary joint of a housing of at least one movable arm link of the articulated arm, the wireless power and data communication interface, through the at least one rotary joint, being configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface.

Description

SUBSTRATE TRANSPORT APPARATUS WITH INTEGRAL POWER AND DATA TRANSMISSIONCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

[0001] This application is a non-provisional of and claims the benefit of United States provisional patent application numbers 63 / 612,055 filed on December 19, 2023 and 63 / 660,187 filed on June 14, 2024, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. This application also claims the benefit of United States provisional patent application numbers 63 / 581,512 filed on September 8, 2023 and 63 / 685,401 filed August 21, 2024, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.BACKGROUND1. Field

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to robotic systems, and more particularly, to robotic transport systems.2. Brief Description of Related Developments

[0003] Automated processing systems such as semiconductor processing systems include multiple components that support the implementation of processes that effect predetermined levels of quality and reproducibility in semiconductor chip manufacturing. These semiconductor processing systems are also being configured to greater and greater throughput. For example, in semiconductor processing, there is a trend towards narrow or elongated vacuum systems. These narrow vacuum systems have increasing footprints, particularly in length, where if these vacuumsystems are pressurized, semiconductor production throughput suffers given the time needed to pump and purge the vacuum systems. In view of maintaining or achieving greater throughput, there is a trend for semiconductor processing equipment manufacturers to implement maintenance and diagnostic procedures that are automatically performed by the semiconductor processing equipment without the loss of vacuum within the vacuum systems. The maintenance and diagnostic procedures may include replacing parts of a process module with substrate transport robots, transporting metrology kits (such as instrumented wafers or substrates) into process modules with the substrate transport robots, or any other suitable maintenance / diagnostic procedure.

[0004] It is noted the metrology kits may be configured to inspect a condition of a process module wafer chuck, shower heads, lifts, or any other suitable feature of the process module. In other aspects, the metrology kits may be employed to calibrate wafer placement locations within the semiconductor processing system. Generally, conventional metrology kits are battery operated and employ Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi networks for data communication to external (e.g., outside the semiconductor processing system) hosts. The architecture of these battery powered metrology kits may be limited because operation of the metrology kits and communications from the metrology kits must be configured to low power due to the battery operation of the metrology kits. Here, because of the low power communication system the communications from the metrology kits may be subject to radio frequency (RF) interference from other RF generating components within the semiconductor production facility fab.

[0005] As of this writing, best practices for substrate or wafer transport automation in vacuum environments avoids placing electrical wires (including those routed through the arm of substrate transport robots) and electronics in the vacuum environment. The wire conductors and insulation as well as the potting epoxies (and any non-metallic components) of the electronics may outgas introducing molecular contamination to the semiconductor manufacturing process in the vacuum environment. Generally, data transmission within or at a rotational joint or axis, for example of a transport apparatus, is effected by the use of slip rings and / or hard-cabled solutions.

[0006] To protect the wiring and electronics (within an atmospheric environment) at least the wiring must pass through at least hermetic feedthroughs at the robot joints where flexing cables are employed at these hermetic feedthroughs. However, where a robot joint is configured for unlimited rotation, flexing cables (e.g., hard-cabled solutions) cannot be employed as these cables limit the rotation of the arm joint. Hard-cabled solutions such as clock-spring cables do not allow for infinite rotation of the rotational axis. Clock-spring cables also take up considerable space especially when more rotation is required. Hard-cabled solutions also introduce additional torque load on the rotational axis meaning that more powerful motors are necessary to drive the rotational axis that includes the clock-spring cable. Cables are also a wear component that produce may particulates over time.

[0007] Slip-rings may be employed to provide the rotational freedom of the robot joint; however, while slip-rings are sufficient for power transfer, slip-rings may not be reliable for data communication at having speeds in the Gbit / sec range. While slip rings allow for infinite rotation of the rotational axis, slip rings are typically not recommended for use in data transmission because they introduce noise into the signals, especially as the slip ring module ages. Slip rings contain brushes, which are limited-life wear components that may produce many particulates, which is not ideal in cleanroom operations.

[0008] In addition, flexing of wires, such as with hard-cabled solution, within the robot arm as the robot arm articulates may cause wear on the wires, and the power and data transmission through the slip-rings may not provide thermal management of active electronic components within the transport arm of the substrate transport robot.

[0009] Accordingly, the present disclosure addresses a number of those issues.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The foregoing aspects and other features of the present disclosure are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0011] Figs. 1 A-1I are schematic illustrations of substrate processing apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0012] Figs. 2A-2H are schematic illustrations of exemplary substrate transport apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure, and which may be employed in any of the substrate processing apparatus of Figs. 1A-1I;

[0013] Figs. 3A-3P are a schematic illustrations of portions of an exemplary substrate transport apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure, and which may be employed in any of the substrate processing apparatus of Figs. 1A-1I;

[0014] Fig. 3Q is a schematic sectional illustration of a portion of a rotational joint or axis of the transport apparatus of Fig. 3C in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0015] Fig. 3R is an exemplary cross-sectional illustration of a portion of the rotational joint of the transport apparatus of Fig. 3C in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0016] Fig. 3S is a schematic plan illustration of a portion of a wireless data transmission module of the portion of the rotational joint illustrated in Fig. 3R in accordance with the present disclosure; and

[0017] Fig. 3T is a schematic sectional illustration of a portion of a transport apparatus of the processing apparatus of Figs. 1 A-1I in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0018] Fig. 3U is an exemplary cross-sectional illustration of a portion of the rotational joint of the transport apparatus of Fig. 3C in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0019] Figs. 4A-4F are schematic illustrations of a compartmentalized arm link structure of the substrate transport apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0020] Fig. 5 is a schematic illustration of a portion of the arm link structure of Figs. 4A-4F in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0021] Fig. 6 is a schematic illustration of a portion of the arm link structure of Figs. 4A-4F in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0022] Figs. 7, 7A, and 7B are a schematic illustrations of portions of the arm link structure of Figs. 4A-4F in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0023] Figs. 8A-8C are schematic illustrations of exemplary couplings between portions of the arm link structure of Figs. 4A-4F in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0024] Fig. 9 is an exemplary illustration of a Gray code pattern of an encoder of the substrate transport apparatus, described herein, in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0025] Fig. 10 is an exemplary scale of an encoder of the substrate transport apparatus, described herein, in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0026] Figs. 11A-11C are schematic illustrations of portions of an exemplary substrate transport apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure, and which may be employed in any of the substrate processing apparatus of Figs. 1A-1I;

[0027] Fig. 12 is a schematic illustration of a portion of compartmentalized arm link structure of the substrate transport apparatus of Figs. 11A-11C in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0028] Fig. 13 is a schematic illustration of a portion of compartmentalized arm link structure of the substrate transport apparatus of Figs. 11A-11C in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0029] Fig. 14 is a schematic illustration of a portion of an exemplary substrate transport apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure, and which may be employed in any of the substrate processing apparatus of Figs. 1A-1I;

[0030] Figs. 15A and 15B are schematic illustrations of a portion of an exemplary substrate transport apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure, and which may be employed in any of the substrate processing apparatus of Figs. 1A-1I;

[0031] Fig. 16 is a schematic illustration of a portion of an exemplary substrate transport apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure, and which may be employed in any of the substrate processing apparatus of Figs. 1A-1I;

[0032] Figs. 17-19 are flow diagrams of exemplary methods in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0033] Fig. 20 is an exemplary schematic illustration of a portion of a power and data communication system of the exemplary substrate transport apparatus of Figs. 1 A-l I in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; and

[0034] Fig. 21 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method in accordance with the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following detailed description is meant to assist the understanding of one skilled in the art, and is not intended in any way to unduly limit claims connected or related to the present disclosure.

[0036] The following detailed description references various figures, where like reference numbers refer to like components and features across various figures, whether specific figures are referenced, or not.

[0037] The word “each” as used herein refers to a single object (i.e., the object) in the case of a single object or each object in the case of multiple objects. The words “a,” “an,” and “the” as used herein are inclusive of “at least one” and “one or more” so as not to limit the noun being referred to as being in its “singular” form.

[0038] Figs. 1 A-1I are schematic illustrations of substrate processing apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure. Although the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure could be embodied in many forms. In addition, any suitable size, shape or type of elements or materials could be used.

[0039] The present disclosure may provide one or more of power and communication throughout a substrate transport robot arm, while addressing one or more of the deficiencies noted above.

[0040] The present disclosure may provide a vacuum substrate transport apparatus 104 (which may also be employed in atmospheric environments) for the substrate processing apparatus 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E, 100F, 100G of Figs. 1A-1I. The substrate transport apparatus 104 is configured to operate at high process temperatures (such as about 70°C, about 100°C, about 150°C, or greater in accordance with the semiconductor processes described herein). Here, the substrate transport apparatus 104 may include a hybrid rotary seal approach where ferro-fluidic seals are placed within the substrate transport apparatus 104 at cooler locations (e.g., away from the end effector and wrist joint at temperatures of about 70°C or below) which may increase reliability of the substrate transport apparatus compared to conventional transport apparatus. The wrist axis WX includes at least one vacuum isolation wall and employs rotor and magnetic encoder encapsulation for cleanliness and corrosion resistance (the magnetic encoder providing for higher operating temperatures of the substrate transport apparatus 104, such as at the high processtemperatures described herein). The architecture of the wrist (and other rotary joints of the substrate transport apparatus) and arm links of the substrate transport apparatus may provide for hydrogen resistance and mitigation / substantial elimination of electrostatic discharge.

[0041] As will be described herein, portions of the mechanical joints (e.g., one or more of the shoulder joint 179S, the elbow joint 179E, and the wrist joint 179W, generally and / or collectively referred to as mechanical or rotary joints MJ), which house at least the motor stators and motor encoders, share a common pressurized environment that is sealed from the vacuum or depressurized environment in which an articulated arm 333 (see, e.g., Fig. 3A) of the substrate transport apparatus 104 operates. The manner of sealing the portions of the mechanical joints effects operation of the substrate transport apparatus 104 when exposed to the high process temperatures. Exposure of the active electronic components to the vacuum environment may be substantially eliminated or minimized through employment of the features of the present disclosure. For example, the present disclosure may provide for a power bus and high-speed data communication bus (see Fig. 20, which may form a common (e.g., combined) bus or separate buses) that are distributed throughout an arm or arms of the substrate transport apparatus 104 while maintaining the common pressurized environment.

[0042] Power and / or data may be communicated between adjacent arm links, through one or more of the mechanical joints 179, by a power and / or data communication interface WPDC (also referred to herein as a wireless data transfer module) disposed at a respective one of the one or more of the mechanical joints 179. The power and / or data communication interface WPDC may provide for infinite rotation of the mechanical joint 179, may not contain any wear components, may not produce particulates, and / or may be used for power and / or data transmission without introducing noise into the data signal being transmitted. The power and / or data communication interface WPDC may provide better signal integrity and lifespan compared to the conventional slip ring and hard-cabled solutions (such as the clock-spring cables). The power and / or data communication interface WPDC may be a modular unit or sub-assembly that may be constructedoutside of the transport apparatus and installed, as the modular unit, where it is needed inside the transport apparatus, such as at any one or more of the mechanical j oints 179.

[0043] Power distributed through the power bus may be direct current power or alternating current power. A power and data communication system PDCS may be distributed through the articulated arm, where the power and communication data system PDCS has a (at least one) wireless power and / or data communication interface WPDC routed through at least one rotary joint (e.g., at least one of the joint(s) at respective axes BSX, BEX, SX, EX, WX) of the housing of the at least one movable arm link. The wireless power and / or data communication interface WPDC, through the at least one rotary joint, is configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface. As described herein, a data communication and bus power network PDCN (e.g., a network formed by and of the power and data communication system PDCS) is resident on board the articulated arm. The data communication and bus power network PDCN is distributed throughout the articulated arm from a terminal joint (such as a mechanical joint MJ disposed at one or more of axes SX, BSX) through the distal joint (e.g., a mechanical joint MJ disposed at the wrist axis WX), see for example, wireless power and / or data communication interfaces WPDCA, WPDCB, WPDCC in Fig. 3C. The data communication and bus power network PDCN is housed in and crosses the at least one rotary joint of the housing. The data communication and bus power network PDCN incorporates local controls (e.g., transmitters, receivers, controllers, etc. of the substrate transport apparatus described herein), and sensors (e.g., the encoders, substrate sensors, sensors of metrology kits, sensors of accessory devices, imaging / vision sensors, thermal sensors, displacement sensors, and other sensors described herein) disposed respectively on the at least one movable link and each of at least the other of the movable arm links and the end effector, coupled via a network interface (e.g., such as a respective wireless power and / or data communication interface WPDC described herein) so as to effect local, on board, on the fly controls of at least one of active thermal control of the end effector, kinematic motion of the substrate holding station SHS via articulation of the one or more movable arm links of the articulated arm, substrate or processmetrology, imaging of at least part of the articulated arm with an on board imaging sensor, and on board health monitoring of the articulated arm.

[0044] As will be described herein, the present disclosure may provide routing of the power and communication components to electrical components (e.g., motors, motor encoders, power docks, communication docks, accessory components, etc.) disposed outside the vacuum environment within or coupled to the arm(s) in a manner where the power and communication components may not be subject to the vacuum environment and outgassing. The conductors (e.g., electrical and communication wires) and cooling tubing within the arm(s) are fixed relative to the respective arm links so that the conductors and cooling tubing do not flex relative to the articulated arm 333 as a result of arm articulation, which may increase the useful life of the electrical conductor and cooling tubing as well as increase reliability of the substrate transport apparatus 104.

[0045] At least the data communication provided by the present disclosure may be effected without mechanical contact with, for example slip-rings of the arm(s). The data communication is not limited by the use of slip-rings and may support high bandwidth (Gigabit or greater) data rates for high speed (Gigabit or greater), synchronous data transmission effecting motion control of the arm(s) and digital signal processing of arm electronics. Electrical transmissions (some of which may be high current) may be effected within the arm through employment of slip-rings while data transmission bypasses the slip-rings. At some portions of the articulated arm 333, power (e.g., the electrical transmissions) may also be transmitted without employment of slip rings so that power may be transferred between pressurized and unpressurized environments or between pressurized environments through the unpressurized environment. In this manner, the present disclosure may provide for placement of sensors and / or actuators within or one the arms and end effectors without exposing electronics and / or cabling of the sensors and / or actuators to the vacuum environment. The wireless power / data transfer between arm links and / or between arm links and end effectors provide for substantially infinite rotation of one or more joints of the articulated arm 333 of the substrate transport apparatus 104. The wireless power / data transfer of the disclosed embodiment may provide for large / high-speed data bandwidths (e.g., about a Gigabit / sec orgreater) and ultra-low latency (e.g., in the nanosecond range) to effect direct driving of one or more joints of the articulated arm 333 and / or sensing of substrates carried by the substrate transport apparatus 104.

[0046] The present disclosure may provide power and data docking (e.g., interfaces or wireless docking stations) on the arm wrist plate, on the end effector, or at any other suitable location of the arm. The docking stations interface with any suitable accessory devices that utilize power and / or data communication. Such accessory devices include, but are not limited to, metrology kits. With the metrology kit(s) receiving power from the power dock and communicating through the data dock of the docking station, the metrology kit may receive substantially unlimited power and be provided with high speed data transmission substantially immune to external radio frequency interference (e.g., effected by short range high bandwidth data communication as described herein).

[0047] The present disclosure may provide a sensor solution for various types of sensor feedback that enhances the performance of the substrate transport apparatus 104. The implementation of the sensor features described herein is a modular, flexible architecture that is application dependent. The substrate transport apparatus 104 may include all or some of the sensors described herein.

[0048] In accordance with present disclosure one or more of the following may be provided (as described herein): a wireless power and / or data communication interface WPDC through at least the other rotary joint to the at least one of the at least one other arm link and the end effector is configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface, where the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint comprises at least a wrist joint of the articulated arm that joins the end effector to the one more movable arm links; the noncontact wireless communication interface is at least one of a close proximity wireless communication (as described herein) and short range wireless communication (as described herein); the noncontact wireless communication interface is a configured for close proximity wireless power and / or data communication includingoptical communication, radio frequency communication, Wi-Fi communication, near field communication, ultra-wide band communication, millimeter wave communication, inductive communication, capacitive communication, resonant capacitive communication, Bluetooth®, infrared, and Zigbee® (as described herein); the noncontact wireless communication interface is configured for communication distance of about 20 mm or less (as described herein); the wireless noncontact power and / or data communication interface through the other rotatory joint forms a noncontact communication power and / or data link between the at least one of the other of the arm links and the end effector and the at least one movable arm link, which noncontact communication link crosses a space gap (such as gap MAG) formed by the rotary joint between the movable arm link and the at least one of the other of the arm links and end effector at the rotary joint; the housing is configured so as to form a sealed plenum (e.g., see Fig. 3C, etc.) inside housing respective parts of a transmitter and a receiver of the wireless communication power and / or data communication interface in a sealed atmosphere sealed from a depressurized environment outside the housing (see, e.g., Figs. 3D-3G, 3L, 3P, etc.); and any other features as described herein

[0049] As also described herein, the present disclosure may provide active forced convection cooling to each arm joint through the shared common pressurized environment, which active forced convection cooling cools the arm and the electrical components (such as those described herein) located within the shared common pressurized environment.

[0050] Still referring to Figs. 1A-1I, the substrate processing apparatus 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E, 100F, 100G such as for example a semiconductor tool station, is shown in accordance with the present disclosure. Although a semiconductor tool station is shown in the drawings, the features of the present disclosure described herein can be applied to any tool station or application employing robotic manipulators. The processing apparatus 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E, 100F, 100G are shown as having cluster tool arrangements (e.g. having substrate holding stations connected to a central chamber), although the processing apparatus may be a linearly arranged tool, or any suitable tool station. The apparatus 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E, 100F, 100G generally include an atmospheric front end 101, at least one vacuum load lock 102, 102A, 102Band a vacuum back end 103. The at least one vacuum load lock 102, 102A, 102B may be coupled to any suitable port(s) or opening(s) of the front end 101 and / or back end 103 in any suitable arrangement. For example, the one or more load locks 102, 102A, 102B may be arranged in a common horizontal plane in a side-by-side arrangement as can be seen in Figs. IB, 1D-1H. The one or more load locks may be arranged in a grid format such that at least two load locks 102A, 102B, 102C, 102D are arranged in rows (e.g. having spaced apart horizontal planes) and columns (e.g. having spaced apart vertical planes) as shown in Fig. II. The one or more load lock may be a single in-line load lock 102 as shown in Fig. 1A. The at least one load lock 102, 102E may be arranged in a stacked in-line arrangement as shown in Fig. 1C. It should be understood that while the load locks are illustrated on end 100E1 or facet 100F1 of a transport chamber or transfer apparatus 125A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G (each of which has a frame TCF forming a sealed chamber disposed to hold a processing vacuum (such as a high vacuum) therein), the one or more load lock may be arranged on any number of sides 100S1, 100S2, ends 100E1, 100E2 or facets 100F1-100F8 of the transport chamber 125A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G. Each of the at least one load lock may also include one or more wafer / substrate resting planes WRP (Fig. 1C) in which substrates are held on suitable supports within the respective load lock, although the tool station may have any suitable configuration. The components of each of the front end 101, the at least one load lock 102, 102A, 102B, and back end 103 may be connected to a controller 110 which may be part of any suitable control architecture such as, for example, a clustered architecture control. The control system may be a closed loop controller having a master controller, cluster controllers and autonomous remote controllers such as those disclosed in United States patent number 7,904,182 entitled “Scalable Motion Control System” issued on March 8, 2011 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In other aspects, any suitable controller and / or control system may be utilized.

[0051] The front end 101 generally includes load port modules 105 and a mini-environment 106 such as for example an equipment front end module (EFEM). The load port modules 105 may be box opener / loader to tool standard (BOLTS) interfaces that conform to SEMI standards El 5.1,E47.1, E62, E19.5 or El.9 for 300 mm load ports, front opening or bottom opening boxes / pods and cassettes. The load port modules may be configured as 200 mm wafer / substrate interfaces, 450 mm wafer / substrate interfaces or any other suitable substrate interfaces such as for example larger or smaller semiconductor wafers / substrates, flat panels for flat panel displays, solar panels, reticles or any other suitable object. Although three load port modules 105 are shown in Figs. 1A, IB, ID, IE, IF, 1G, 1H, any suitable number of load port modules may be incorporated into the front end 101. The load port modules 105 may be configured to receive substrate carriers or cassettes C from an overhead transport system, automatic guided vehicles, person guided vehicles, rail guided vehicles or from any other suitable transport method. The load port modules 105 may interface with the mini-environment 106 through load ports 107. The load ports 107 may allow the passage of substrates between the substrate cassettes and the mini-environment 106.

[0052] The mini -environment 106 generally includes any suitable transfer robot 108, which may incorporate one or more features of the present disclosure described herein. The robot 108 may be a track mounted robot such as that described in, for example, United States Patents 6,002,840 issued on December 14, 1999; 8,419,341 issued April 16, 2013; and 7,648,327 issued on January 19, 2010, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. The robot 108 may be substantially similar to that described herein with respect to the back end 103. The mini -environment 106 may provide a controlled, clean zone for substrate transfer between multiple load port modules.

[0053] The at least one vacuum load lock 102, 102A, 102B may be located between and connected to the mini-environment 106 and the back end 103. The load ports 105 may be coupled substantially directly to the at least one load lock 102, 102A, 102B or the transport chamber 125 A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G where the substrate carrier C is pumped down to a vacuum of the transport chamber 125A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G and substrates are transferred directly between the substrate carrier C and the load lock or transfer chamber. The substrate carrier C may function as a load lock such that a processing vacuum of the transport chamber extends into the substrate carrier C. As may be realized, where the substrate carrier C iscoupled substantially directly to the load lock through a suitable load port any suitable transfer apparatus may be provided within the load lock or otherwise have access to the carrier C for transferring substrates to and from the substrate carrier C. It is noted that the term vacuum as used herein may denote a high vacuum such as IxlO'3Torr or below in which the substrates are processed. The at least one load lock 102, 102 A, 102B generally includes atmospheric and vacuum slot valves. The slot valves of the load locks 102, 102A, 102B (as well as for the processing stations 130) may provide the environmental isolation employed to evacuate the load lock after loading a substrate from the atmospheric front end and to maintain the vacuum in the transport chamber when venting the lock with an inert gas such as nitrogen. As will be described herein, the slot valves of the processing apparatus 100 A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E, 100F, 100G may be located in the same plane, different vertically stacked planes, or a combination of slot valves located in the same plane and slot valves located in different vertically stacked planes (as described above with respect to the load ports) to accommodate transfer of substrates to and from at least the processing stations 130 and load locks 102, 102 A, 102B coupled to the transport chamber 125 A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G. The at least one load lock 102, 102A, 102B (and / or the front end 101) may also include an aligner ALN for aligning a fiducial of the substrate to a desired position for processing or any other suitable substrate metrology equipment. The vacuum load lock may be located in any suitable location of the processing apparatus and have any suitable configuration.

[0054] The vacuum back end 103 generally includes a transport chamber 125 A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G, one or more processing station(s) 130 and any suitable number of transfer unit modules 104 (also referred to herein as substrate transport apparatus) that includes one or more transfer robots, which may include one or more features of the present disclosure described herein. The transport chamber 125 A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G may have any suitable shape and size that, for example, complies with SEMI standard E72 guidelines. The transfer unit module(s) 104 and the one or more transfer robot will be described below and may be located at least partly within the transport chamber 125A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F,125G to transport substrates between the load lock 102, 102A, 102B (or between a cassette C located at a load port) and the various processing stations 130. The transfer unit module 104 may be removable from the transport chamber 125A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G as a modular unit such that the transfer unit module 104 complies with SEMI standard E72 guidelines.

[0055] The processing stations 130 may operate on the substrates through various deposition, etching, or other types of high vacuum processes to form electrical circuitry or other desired structure on the substrates. Typical processes include but are not limited to thin film processes that use a vacuum such as plasma etch or other etching processes, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma vapor deposition (PVD), implantation such as ion implantation, metrology, rapid thermal processing (RTP), dry strip atomic layer deposition (ALD), oxidation / diffusion, forming of nitrides, vacuum lithography, epitaxy (EPI), wire bonder and evaporation or other thin film processes that use vacuum pressures. The processing stations 130 are communicably connected to the transport chamber 125A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G in any suitable manner, such as through slot valves SV, to allow substrates to be passed from the transport chamber 125A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G to the processing stations 130 and vice versa. The slot valves SV of the transport chamber 125 A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G may be arranged to allow for the connection of twin (e.g. more than one substrate processing chamber located within a common housing) or side-by-side process stations 130T1, 130T2, single process stations 130S and / or stacked process modules / load locks (Figs. 1C and II).

[0056] It is noted that the transfer of substrates to and from the processing station 130, load locks 102, 102A, 102B (or cassette C) coupled to the transfer chamber 125A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G may occur when one or more arms of the transfer unit module 104 are aligned with a predetermined processing station 130. In accordance with the present disclosure one or more substrates may be transferred to a respective predetermined processing station 130 individually or substantially simultaneously (e.g. such as when substrates are picked / placed from side-by-side or tandem processing stations as shown in Figs. IB, ID and 1H. The transfer unit module 104 may be mounted on a boom arm 143 (see, e.g., Figs. IE, IF, 1H) or linear carriage 144 (see, e.g., Fig.1C) such as that described in United States patent numbers 10,777,438 titled “Processing Apparatus” and issued on September 15, 2020 and International patent application number PCT / US13 / 25513 entitled “Substrate Processing Apparatus” and filed on February 11, 2013, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0057] Referring to Figs. 2A and 2B, exemplary boom arm configurations, to which the transfer unit module 104 may be coupled, will be described. The boom arm 143 and the transfer unit module 104 may collectively be referred to as a substrate transport apparatus (although, where the transfer unit module 104 is employed without the boom arm 143, the transfer unit module may be referred to as the substrate transport apparatus as noted herein). Here, the boom arm 143 may be a single unarticulated link boom arm 220 (Fig. 2A) or an articulated link boom arm 222 (Fig. 2B).

[0058] With reference to Fig. 2A, the single unarticulated link boom arm 220 is rotatably coupled to a frame or base 201 of the transport apparatus. The base 201 includes a drive section 200 configured to rotate the boom arm 220 about a boom arm rotation axis BSX. The transfer unit module 104 is coupled to a distal end of the boom arm 143 (opposite the boom arm rotation axis BSX). It should be understood that while the transfer unit module 104 is illustrated as having a SC ARA arm 210 (or dual SCARA arm 210, 210A) configuration, although the transfer unit module 104 may have any suitable arm configuration including, but not limited to those described herein.

[0059] With reference to Fig. 2B, the articulated link boom arm 220 includes an upper boom link 220 that is rotatably coupled to a frame or base 201 (at the boom arm rotation axis BAX) of the transport apparatus at a proximate end of the upper boom link 220. The other or distal end of the upper boom link 220 is rotatably coupled to a proximate end of a forearm boom link 221 at a boom joint axis of rotation BEX, where the transfer unit module 104 is coupled to and supported by the forearm boom link 221 at a distal end of the forearm boom link 221. The drive section is configured to drive rotation of the upper boom link 220 about axis BSX and the forearm boom link 221 about the axis BEX in any suitable manner. For example, the upper boom link 220 maybe driven by a motor of the drive section 20 while the forearm boom link 221 is slaved in rotation (e.g., a band and pulley transmission slaves rotation of the forearm boom link 221 to the frame 201), although, the forearm boom link 221 and the upper boom link 220 may each be driven by a respective motor of the drive section 200. While the articulated link boom arm 222 is illustrated with two links, it should be understood that the articulated link boom arm 222 may have any suitable number of links serially coupled to each other. Suitable examples of boom arms that may be employed with the aspects of the disclosed embodiment are described in United States patent application number 15 / 215,143 filed on July 20, 2016 and titled “Substrate Processing Apparatus,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0060] While the transfer unit module or substrate transport apparatus 104 in Figs. 2A and 2B is illustrated as having a SCARA arm 210 (or dual SC ARA arm 210, 210A) configuration, the transfer unit module 104 may have any suitable transfer arm configuration including, but not limited to those described herein. For example, the transfer unit module 104 may have any other desired arrangement such as a frog-leg arm 216 (Fig. 2C) configuration, a leap-frog arm 217 (Fig. 2D) configuration, a bi-symmetric arm 218 (Fig. 2E) configuration, etc. As another example, referring to Fig. 2F, transfer unit module 104 may be configured as the transfer arm 219. The transfer arm 219 includes at least a first and second articulated SCARA arm 210, 210A where each arm 210, 210A includes an end effector 211 configured to hold at least two substrates SI, S2 side by side in a common transfer plane (each substrate holding location of the end effector 211 shares a common drive for picking and placing the substrates SI, S2) where the spacing DX between the substrates SI, S2 corresponds to a fixed spacing between side by side substrate holding locations. Referring to Figs. 2F and 2G, the SCARA arm 210 (and arm 210A) includes an upper arm 213, a forearm 212, and an end effector 211 that are serially coupled to one another to form an articulated chain of arm links. The end effectors 211 described herein have at least one substrate holding station 21 IS, each substrate holding station 21 IS having a predetermined center or end effector reference point 211C. The end effector 211 is configured to hold a substrate S (also referred to herein as a wafer) at the substrate holding station 21 I S and transport the substrate within thesubstrate processing apparatus. Here, at least one of the arm links 213, 212, 211 is driven a respective drive motor of the drive section. One or more of the arm links, such as the forearm 212 and / or end effector 211 may be slaved in rotation by any suitable band and pulley transmission (or other suitable transmission) to effect extension and retraction of the SCARA arm. Suitable examples of transfer arms to which the present disclosure may be employed can be found in United States patents 6,231,297 issued May 15, 2001, 5,180,276 issued January 19, 1993, 6,464,448 issued October 15, 2002, 6,224,319 issued May 1, 2001, 5,447,409 issued September 5, 1995, 7,578,649 issued August 25, 2009, 5,794,487 issued August 18, 1998, 7,946,800 issued May 24, 2011, 6,485,250 issued November 26, 2002, 7,891,935 issued February 22, 2011, 11,569,111 issued on January 31, 2023, 8,752,449 issued on June 17, 2014, 8,918,203 issued on December 23, 2014, and 11,235,935 issued February 1, 2022, and United States patent application numbers 13 / 293,717 entitled “Dual Arm Robot” and filed on November 10, 2011 and 13 / 270,844 entitled “Coaxial Drive Vacuum Robot” and filed on October 11, 2011 the disclosures of which are all incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. Suitable examples of band / pulley transmission that may be employed with the present disclosure are described in United States patent numbers 5,682,795 issued on November 4, 1997, 5,778,730 issued on July 14, 1998, and 11,201,073 issued December 14, 2021, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0061] Referring to Fig. 2H, another transfer unit module 104 is illustrated. The transfer unit module of Fig. 2H, like the other transfer unit modules described herein, may be coupled to a boom arm 143 (see, e.g., Figs. 1H, 2A and 2B) so as to be transported by the boom arm 143, to a linear carriage 144 (see, e.g., Fig. 1G) so as to be transported by the linear carriage 144, or stationarily fixed to a frame TCF (illustrated in Figs. 1A-1I) of the transport chamber 125A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G (or a frame of the mini-environment 106). Here, the transfer unit module 104 includes a frame 266F, to which a turret 266 is rotatably coupled for rotation about a turret axis of rotation TAX. The drive section 200 includes a turret drive 200R disposed at the turret axis of rotation TAX that drives rotation of the turret 266 in direction T3. The turret 266 includestransfer arm supports 270A, 270B that extend from opposite sides of the turret 266, and to which a respective transfer arm(s) 210, 210A, 216, 217, 218 are coupled. The transfer arm supports 270A, 270B are spaced apart from each other so that the respective transfer arms are supported by the turret 266 in a side by side arrangement, where the side by side transfer arms each include end effector(s) 211 configured to hold at least one substrate side by side in a common transfer plane where the spacing DX between the substrates SI, S2 corresponds to a fixed spacing between side by side substrate holding locations (e.g., in a manner similar to that described with respect to Fig. 2F and as described in United States patent number 10,134,621 issued on November 20, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety).

[0062] The turret 266 may include one or more linear motors 200LM that are coupled to a respective transfer arm support 270A, 270B for moving the respective transfer arm support 270A, 270B in direction 271A, 271B for effecting adjustment in the distance DX (or independent adjustment of the respective distance DX1, DX2 from the axis TAX) to account for substrateholding-station to substrate-holding-station variability and the independent automatic wafer centering with respect to the transfer arm(s) held on the respective transfer arm support 270A, 270B and. Here, the turret 266 provides for individual or independent Cartesian adjustment for each respective transfer arm supports 270A, 270B (and the respective transfer arm(s) coupled thereto) to maintain substrate alignment and reduce substrate swap times as position correction effected by the Cartesian (e.g., X-Y) positioning of the end effector 211 of at least one transfer arm coupled to transfer arm support 270A is performed in parallel with the Cartesian positioning of the end effector 211, 21 IDS, 21 IDE, 21 IDT, 211DQ of at least one other transfer arm coupled to transfer arm support 270B. Each transfer arm support 270A, 270B may also include a respective Z-axis drive for moving the respective transfer arm(s) held on the transfer arm support 270A, 270B independent of Z axis movement of the respective transfer arms held on the other transfer arm support 270A, 270B. Another Z-axis drive may be provided for moving the turret 266 and any transfer arms coupled thereto as a unit in the Z direction.

[0063] The drive section 200 may be a distributed drive section where drive motors 200M1, 200M2, 200M3A, 200M3B of the drive section 200 are distributed within the arm 333, such as at mechanical joints MJ or otherwise within arm links 213, 212 of the arm 333; although, the drive section 200 may be a coaxial drive section (see Fig. 3T) with arm link drive motors disposed in a housing 200H of the drive section 200, where each motor is coupled to a respective arm link 213, 212, 211, for driving rotation of the respective arm link 213, 212, 211, by any suitable transmission (e.g., direct drive of a drive shaft (see Fig. 3C and motor 200M1 in Fig. 3T), band and pulley transmission BPT, BPTE (see Fig. 3T), and / or any other suitable transmission).

[0064] Referring to Figs. 3A-3C, an exemplary vacuum substrate transport apparatus 104 is illustrated as having a base or frame 201 and an articulated arm 333 connected to the base 201. As will be described in greater detail herein, the articulated arm 333 is connected to the base 201 with a terminal (rotary) joint MJ (e.g., such as one or more of axes SX, BSX) about which the articulated arm 333 extends. The articulated arm 333 has one or more movable arm links 213, 212, and an end effector 211, 211A, 21 IB connected at a distal (rotary) joint MJ (e.g., such as at the wrist axis WX) to the one or more movable arm links 213, 212. The terminal joint and the distal joint are rotary joints MJ and the end effector 211, 211A, 21 IB has a substrate holding location SHS thereon.

[0065] At least one movable link 213, 212, of the one or more movable arm links, is coupled to a housing 370-375, 200H containing at least one rotary joint MJ with an axis of rotation SX, BSX, EX, about which the at least movable link 213, 212, rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm 333, and the at least one movable link 213, 212 has a link housing 370-375 that contains at least another rotary joint MJ, with a corresponding axis of rotation EX, WX, to which at least one of another of the arm links 212 and the end effector 211, 211 A, 211B are rotatably joined to the at least one movable link 213, 212.

[0066] A power and data communication system PDCS is distributed through the articulated arm 333. The power and data communication system PDCS having a non-contact wireless data transferor communication module 180 at the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ. The non-contact wireless data communication module 180 has a module housing 2010 that houses a transmitter and receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of a printed circuit board couple (see, at least, Fig. 3U) forming a non-contact wireless communication interface WPDC at and across the at least one rotary j oint MJ, or the at least another rotary j oint MJ, that decouples rotation of the at least one rotary joint MJ, or the at least another rotary joint MJ, from constraint of the power and data communication system PDCS so that the rotation of the at least one rotary joint MJ, or the at least another rotary joint MJ, is substantially infinite. The transmitter and receiver printed circuit boards 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple are aligned with predetermined alignment tolerances so as to provide transmission rates of the non-contact wireless data communication interface WPDC in the gigabytes per second (Gbps) range throughout the substantially infinite rotation.

[0067] As described herein, the exemplary vacuum substrate transport apparatus 104 may include one or more of the following, individually or in any suitable combination thereof, and / or in any suitable combination with the other features described herein: the transmission rates of the noncontact wireless data communication interface WPDC have a range of up to about 3.125 Gbps; the module housing 2010 has a static housing part 2000 and a dynamic housing part 205 joined to each other, one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple is housed in the static housing part 2000, and another of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple is housed in the dynamic housing part 205; the static housing part 2000 is fixedly coupled to at least one of the housing 200H and the link housing 370-375, and the dynamic housing part 205 has a rotor 2100 that rotates about the corresponding axis of rotation SAX, of the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ, relative to the static housing part 2000 throughout rotation of the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ; the other of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple is mounted to the rotor 2100 in the dynamic housing part 205 so as to rotate as a unit with the rotor 2100 about the corresponding axis ofrotation SAX, of the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ, relative to the one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 static in the static housing part 2000 throughout rotation of the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ; the other of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple is held by the rotor 2100 aligned to the one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple with the predetermined alignment tolerances throughout rotation of the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ substantially decoupled from alignment and runout tolerances of the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ exceeding the predetermined alignment tolerances; the rotor 2100 is positioned relative to the static housing part 2000 by a deep groove radial ball bearing 215; the deep groove radial ball bearing 215 defines the predetermined alignment tolerances of the transmitter and receiver printed circuit boards 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple; the module housing 2010 has a static housing part 2000 and a dynamic housing part 205 joined to each other, one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple is housed in the static housing part 2000, and another of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple is mounted to the rotor 2100 of the dynamic housing part 205, and a hermetically sealed isolation wall HSIW separates the rotor 2100 from the static housing part 2000, where the hermetically sealed isolation wall HSIW is configured to allow data transmission between the transmitter and receiver printed circuit boards 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple; and a flexible shaft coupling 260 that intervenes between and mates the rotor 2100 of the dynamic housing part 205 to an output shaft 290 of the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ.

[0068] The base 201 may be connected to a frame of the substrate processing apparatus (such as a frame of the transport chamber 125A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G). The articulated arm 333 has a terminal or shoulder (rotary) j oint 309 (e.g., at the shoulder axis SX) about which the articulated arm 333 rotates and extends. The articulated arm 333 also includes at least one movable arm link 213, 212 and at least one end effector 211 A, 21 IB connected to the at least onemovable arm link 213, 212. Here, the articulated arm 333 is illustrated as a SCARA arm extending from the terminal joint 309 about which the SCARA arm rotates and extends, although the arm may have any suitable configuration such as those described herein. The SCARA arm has more than one arm links 213, 212 and at least one end effector 211 A, 21 IB dependent therefrom. Each arm link 213, 212 being joined in series with the end effector 211A, 21 IB at a distal end of the SCARA arm. The at least one movable arm link of the SCARA arm includes an upper arm link 213 and a forearm link 212. The proximate end of the upper arm link 213 is rotatably connected to the base 201 at the shoulder joint 309. A proximate end of the forearm link 212 is rotatably connected to a distal end of the upper arm link 213 at an elbow joint 310. The at least one end effector is rotatably connected to a distal end of the forearm link 212 at a wrist joint 311. The at least one end effector 211A, 21 IB is illustrated as two end effectors 211A, 21 IB that are each substantially similar to end effector 21 IDS of Fig. 2F; however, the at least one end effector may have any suitable configuration. Each end effector 211 A, 21 IB includes at least one substrate holding station SHS located thereon.

[0069] The at least one movable arm link 213, 212 has an outer housing 213H, 212H containing at least one rotary joint (e.g., a respective one of the shoulder joint 309 and elbow joint 310, the elbow joint 310 being distal from the shoulder joint 309) with an axis of rotation about which the at least one movable arm link 213, 212 rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm 333. As will be described in greater detail herein, each of the outer housing 213H, 212H is an assembly formed of housing parts 370-375 that are sealed to hold a sealed atmosphere within each outer housing 213H, 212H, with each outer housing 213H, 212H inside the vacuum of a sealed chamber (such as the transport chamber 125A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G). The outer housing 213H, 212H is configured so that the at least one movable arm link 213, 212 forms a pressure vessel (as described herein and illustrated in Fig. 3C), with the axis of rotation (e.g., of the shoulder joint and elbow joint) extending from the pressure vessel. As illustrated in Fig. 3C, the outer housing 213H, 212H is depressurized, at least in part (see pressure vessels or tubes PT1-PT3), so that walls 213W, 212W of a depressurized part of the outer housing213H, 212H are subjected to a pressure equilibrium (e.g., the vacuum pressure on one side of the wall 213W, 212W is substantially the same as a vacuum pressure on the other side of the wall 213W, 212W) across a wall thickness WTH. The depressurized part of the outer housing 213H, 212H is configured commensurate with static and dynamic loads, imparted to the at least one movable arm link 213, 212 from corresponding static and dynamic operating conditions of the articulated arm 333, and free of differential pressure loads.

[0070] The sealed housing parts 370-375 of the respective outer housing 213H, 212H are coupled to each other with at least one mechanical joint MJ forming a sealed interface (see Fig. 3B) through which the sealed atmosphere communicates between each sealed housing part to each other sealed housing part of the outer housing 213H, 212H (e.g., the sealed housing parts share a common pressurized environment). One or more of the sealed housing parts 370-375 (e.g., forming a part of a respective housing of a respective arm link and of the arm) are configured to form a sealed plenum (see, e.g., Figs. 3B, 3C, 3P, etc.), inside of the respective sealed housing part, that houses respective parts of a transmitter and receiver of a noncontact communication power and / or data link (as described herein) in a sealed atmosphere sealed from a depressurized environment outside the housing. As can be seen in Fig. 3B, the sealed interface bisects the at least movable arm link 213, 212 between the end portion 370, 372, 373, 375 and another end portion 370, 372, 373, 375 of the at least one movable arm link 213, 212. As can also be seen in Fig. 3B, the sealed interface bisects an outer wall or shell 213W, 212W of the outer housing 213H, 212H. Fig. 3C is an exemplary illustration of the sealed communication between each of the housing parts where the pressurized environment (compared to the vacuum or depressurized environment of the chamber in which the substrate transport arm is disposed) within the sealed atmosphere extends from the base 201 to the wrist housing part 375 with a minimized volume that minimizes the exposure of the seal boundaries of the sealed atmosphere to the vacuum environment. As may be realized, where ferro-fluidic seals FFS are employed between the drive shaft 200M1D, 200M2D and the respective motor housing, at the shoulder axis SX and elbow axis EX, the motor stators and motor rotors (see Fig. 3B) may both be disposed in the atmospheric environment. Where, such as at thewrist axis WX, ferro-fluidic seals are not employed the stator is isolated from the vacuum by an isolation wall (as described herein) and the rotor is located within the vacuum environment.

[0071] At least one sealed housing part 370, 372, 373, 375 is an end portion or coupling of the at least one movable arm link 213, 212. The at least one sealed housing part 370, 372, 373, 375 houses the at least one rotary joint 309, 310, 311 (or at least a portion thereof), wherein the at least one rotary joint 309, 310, 311 is included within the at least one sealed housing part 370, 372, 373, 375 of the at least one movable arm link 213, 212. For example, referring also to Figs. 4A-4E, the movable arm link 213, 212 is a reconfigurable arm link 213R, 212R having a modular composite arm link casing or housing 213H, 212H, formed of link case modules rigidly coupled to each other. As will be described in greater detail herein, the rigidly coupled link case modules include end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 (also referred to herein as link case end modules or housing parts) connected by at least one central arm section 371, 374 (also referred to herein as interchangeable link case extension modules or extruded arm casing components) having a predetermined characteristic determining a length OAL of the movable arm link 213, 212. In accordance with the present disclosure, the at least one central arm section 371, 374 is selectable, for connection to the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 and forms the reconfigurable arm link 213R, 212R, from a number of different central arm sections (interchangeable link case extension modules) 371A1- 371An, 374Bl-374Bn each with a different corresponding predetermined characteristic determining a corresponding different length of the movable arm link 213, 212, so as to selectably set the modular composite arm link casing 213H, 212H and reconfigure arm link 213R, 212R to a predetermined arm link length OAL from a number of predetermined arm link lengths OALn (each different length OALn corresponding to the different lengths CALl-CALn of the different central arm sections 371Al-371An, 374Bl-374Bn).

[0072] As an example, each of the upper arm link 213 and forearm link 212 are modular arm links having a respective central arm section 371, 374 and respective end couplings 370-375. For example, the upper arm link 213 includes a proximate end coupling 370 that forms the proximate end 213E1 of the upper arm link 213. A central arm section 371 is coupled to the proximate endcoupling 370 in any suitable manner, such as with any suitable removable fasteners. A distal end coupling 372 is coupled to the central arm section 371, opposite the proximate end coupling 370, so as to form the distal end 213E2 of the upper arm 213. Similarly, the forearm link 212 includes a proximate end coupling 373 that forms a proximate end 212E1 of the forearm link 212. A central arm section 374 is coupled to the proximate end coupling 370 in any suitable manner, such as with any suitable removable fasteners. A distal end coupling 375 is coupled to the central arm section 374, opposite the proximate end coupling 373, so as to form a distal end 212E2 of the forearm link 212.

[0073] The central arm sections 371, 374, as described herein, have a closed cross section (e.g., closed box shape). For example, the central arm section 371, 374 comprises a monolithic tube frame 410F that may have any suitable cross section. In the examples illustrated in Figs. 4A-4E the tube frame 41 OF is shown as having a rectangular cross section however, the cross section may be square, circular, ovoid, “I” beam shaped, open channel “C” or “U” shaped, etc., or any combination thereof. The central arm section 371, 374 is mechanically fastened to each of the (respective) end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 to form the modular composite arm link casing 213H, 212H. The central arm section 371, 374 may be mechanically fastened with mechanical fastener joints (including removable mechanical fasteners as will be described herein) to each of the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 to form the modular composite arm link casing 213H, 212H

[0074] The tube frame 41 OF includes end flanges 540, 541 configured for coupling any one of the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 to the tube frame 41 OF. The flanges 540, 541 may be integrally formed with the tube frame 41 OF or coupled to the tube frame 41 OF in any suitable manner. For example, the flanges 540, 541 may be forged, cast, or molded with the tube frame 41 OF; although, the flanges 540, 541 may be coupled to the tube frame by welding, mechanical fasteners, adhesive, friction fit (e.g., shrink fits, press fits, etc.), clamps or in any other suitable manner. The end flanges 540, 541 may include locating features (such as a hole 545 and a slot 546) and the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 may include mating locating features (e g., such as pins 547 or other protrusions that engage the locating features of the end flanges 540, 541 - see Fig. 5C) that orient / locate eachof the end couplings 370, 372 of the upper arm link 213 (or with respect to the forearm link 212, the end couplings 373, 375) to the central arm section 371 (or with respect to the forearm link 212, the central arm section 374) and to each other in at least two degrees of freedom. The locating features and mating locating features may be asymmetric so that the coupling is poka-yoke (e.g., the asymmetric locating features substantially avoid assembly errors when the end couplings are coupled to a respective central arm section). Referring also to Fig. 8A, the locating features may include protrusions 4100 and recesses 4110 that are formed into the central arm sections 371, 374 and end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 where the protrusions 4100 and recesses 4110 are configured to locate the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 relative to a respective central arm section 371, 374 at a predetermined location. For example, the central arm section 371, 374 may include recess(es) 4110 and the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 may include protrusion(s) 4100 where the recess 4110 receives a respective protrusion 4100 to locate the end coupling 370, 372, 373, 375 relative to the respective central arm section 371, 374 at the predetermined location. The end couplings may include the recess and the central arm sections may include the protrusion. The recesses and protrusions may be continuous and extend around an entire peripheral edge of the respective end coupling and central arm section; although, the recesses and protrusions may be discontinuous so as to extend around predetermined portions of the peripheral edge of the respective end coupling and central arm section. The protrusions and recesses may be employed with one or more pins / holes / slots so that the pins / holes / slot define a directional assembly orientation (e.g., which surface of the end coupling is the top, bottom, etc.) of the end coupling relative to the central arm section while the recess and protrusion locate the end coupling relative to the central arm section in the predetermined position. The end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 may be coupled to a respective central arm section 371, 374 without locating features where the end coupling and central arm section assembly is secondarily machined to predetermined dimensional tolerances from one end coupling to the opposite end coupling.

[0075] The end flanges 540, 541 also include fastener couplings 560-563 and the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 include mating fastener couplings 560A-563A that together effect coupling ofthe end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 to the central arm section 371, 374. For example, the fastener couplings 560-563 and mating fastener couplings 560A-563 A may be in the form of threaded holes and apertures into which bolts / screws are inserted or any other removable fastener system. Referring also to Fig. 8B, and as noted herein, the end coupling 370, 372, 373, 375 is illustrated as being coupled to the central arm section 371, 374 with clamps 4200 where each clamp engages both the end coupling 370, 372, 373, 375 and the central arm section 371, 374 so as to form a compression coupling between the end coupling 370, 372, 373, 375 and the central arm section 371, 374. Referring also to Fig. 8C, and as noted herein, the end coupling 370, 372, 373, 375 is illustrated as being coupled to the central arm section 371, 374 by a friction fit (e.g., shrink fits, press fits, etc.) where a protrusion 4300 on the end coupling 370, 372, 373, 375 frictionally engages a recess 4310 (or internal or external surface of) on the central arm section 371, 374 (or vice versa) so as to couple the end coupling 370, 372, 373, 375 to the central arm section 371, 374. The recess 4310 and protrusion 4300 may be substantially similar to the recess 4110 and protrusion 4100 described above but for having a friction fit (also known as a press fit or interference fit which is a fastening between two parts achieved by friction after the parts are forcibly pushed together - there is no clearance between parts being assembled)(Fig. 8C) rather than a sliding fit (e.g., the end coupling and central arm section slide easily relative to one another during assembly - there is clearance between the parts being assembled) (as in Fig. 8A).

[0076] The central arm sections 371, 374 may have a length CAL that with the respective end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 defines an overall length OAL (from joint center to j oint center - see Fig. 4C) of the respective upper arm link 213 or forearm link 212. The articulated arm 333 (and other arms described herein) may be configured / re-configured by changing a length CAL of the central arm sections 371, 374. As noted herein, the central arm sections 371, 374 may be manufactured as described herein so as to have different predetermined lengths CAL, CAL1- CALn. Accordingly, each of the central arm sections 371, 374 may be selectable from a number of central arm sections 371Al-371An, 374Bl-374Bn where “n” is a whole number signifying an upper limit to the number of central arm sections. Each of the selectable central arm sections371Al-371An, 374Bl-374Bn may have a length CALl-CALn that is different from a length of another of the selectable central arm sections 371Al-371An, 374Bl-374Bn. Here, selection of a selectable arm section 371 Al -371 An, 374Bl-374Bn for installation in a respective upper arm link 213 or forearm link 212 defines, together with the respective end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 a variable (i.e., through selection of a central arm section 371Al-371An, 374Bl-374Bn) length of the upper arm link 213 or forearm link 212. As may be realized, the overall length OAL of one or more of the upper arm link 213 and the forearm link 212 may be increased or decreased through selection of the selectable central arm sections 371Al-371An, 374Bl-374Bn.

[0077] Referring also to Fig. 7A, one or more of the central arm sections 371, 374 may be a telescoping central arm section 510T (e.g., arm portions of the telescoping arm portions slide one into another to change a length in a manner similar to that of a segmented optical telescope). The telescoping central arm section 510T includes a first frame portion 510T1 and a second frame portion 510T2. The first frame portion 510T1 is shaped and sized to receive the second frame portion 510T2 in a sliding fit so that first frame portion 510T1 or the second frame portion 510T2 linearly slides in a longitudinal direction relative to another of the first frame portion 510T1 or the second frame portion 510T2 to increase or decrease the length CAL of the telescoping central arm section 510T. The telescoping central arm section 510T may include any suitable removable or non-removable fasteners 4000 (e.g., screws, bolts, pins, clips, welding, etc.) to lock movement of the first frame portion 510T1 relative to the second frame portion 510T2 so as to set / fix the length CAL of the telescoping central arm section 510T. Where the fasteners are removable the length of the arm links may be adjusted as desired to conform with additional or removed substrate processing modules, transfer chamber portions (e.g., the arm reach may be increased or decreased as desired).

[0078] Referring to Fig. 7B, one or more of the central arm sections 371, 374 may be a segmented arm section 510S, where each segment 4020 has a fixed length CAS and are coupled to each other in an abutting manner (e.g., end to end) so that when coupled together end to end the segmentshave the length CAL of the central arm section 371, 374. The fixed length CAS of the different segments 4020 may be the same, although the fixed lengths of the segments 4020 may be different.

[0079] The different length central arm sections 371, 374, 371Al-371An, 374Bl-374Bn may be manufactured in any suitable manner from any suitable material as noted herein. For example, the at least one interchangeable central arm section 371, 374 and each of the number of different interchangeable central arm sections 371Al-371An, 374Bl-374Bn have a box shape cross section 598 corresponding thereto, and the predetermined characteristic is that the interchangeable central arm section 371, 374 and each of the number of different interchangeable central arm sections 371Al-371An, 374Bl-374Bn have a different corresponding length CAL, CALl-CALn.

[0080] The box shaped cross section 598 provides for a tubular shape of the tube frame 41 OF and facilitates the manufacturing of the central arm sections 371, 374, 371Al-371An, 374Bl-374Bn with lower cost and / or high volume manufacturing methods. For example, the central arm sections 371, 374, 371Al-371An, 374BL374Bn may be manufactured by extrusion or casting (e.g., so as to form an extrusion member with a box shaped cross section 598) which reduces machining requirements (e.g., compared to conventional arm links which are machined from billets of material). Other manufacturing methods that may be employed include but are not limited to additive manufacturing, conventional machining, folded and welded sheet metal, forging, and injection molding. The tubular form of the tube frame 41 OF, which may be achieved through the above-noted manufacturing process, effects an extrusion member with a monolithic box section 598 that is significantly stiffer when compared to the conventionally machined arm links noted above. The stiffer box shaped cross section 598 provides for longer arm lengths and manufacture of the tube frame 41 OF with thinner side walls 510W than would otherwise be achieved with conventionally machined arm links, which reduces weight of the arm links and provides for increased operating speeds of the substrate transport apparatus 130.

[0081] The corresponding box shape cross section 598 may be sized and shaped commensurate to the different corresponding lengths CAL, CALl-CALn so as to maintain a predetermined stiffness(end to end) for each different interchangeable central arm section 371, 371Al-371An, 374, 374Bl-374Bn. The corresponding box shape cross section 598 may be sized and shaped commensurate to the different corresponding length CAL, CALl-CALn so as to maintain a predetermined stiffness (end to end) for each different selectable predetermined arm link length OAL, OALn. For example, with respect to the predetermined stiffnesses, as the length CAL, CALl-CALn of the central arm section 371, 371Al-371An, 374, 374Bl-374Bn increases the thickness THK (Fig. 5E) of one or more of the walls 510W of the box shaped cross section 598 may also increase. The thickness THK of one or more of the walls 510W may be tapered along the respective length CAL, CALl-CALn with the wall being thickest at a proximate end of the arm link (relative to the shoulder axis SX) and thinnest at a distal end of the arm link (relative to the shoulder axis SX; e.g., considering the arm link 212, the wall thickness may be greatest adjacent the elbow axis AX and thinnest adjacent the wrist axis WX). Stiffening ribs may be formed in the box shaped cross section 598 during, for example, extrusion of the box shaped cross section 598. The material of the at least one interchangeable central arm section 371, 374, and each of the number of different interchangeable central arm sections 371Al-371An, 374Bl-374Bn may have a higher stiffness (spring modulus) than the material of the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375.

[0082] The modular arm link configuration may simplify manufacture of the arm link ends. For example, with conventional arm links, the ends of the arm links to which the arm pulleys and pulley shafts are coupled are machined from a billet of material with the central part of the arm as a unit. In accordance with the present disclosure, the modular form of the arm links may provide for separate manufacturing techniques to be employed for the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 and the central arm sections 371, 374, 371Al-371An, 374Bl-374Bn. For example, while the central arm sections 371, 374, 371 Al -371 An, 374Bl-374Bn may be extruded (or manufactured with other methods as noted herein), the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 may be manufactured by casting, forging, additive manufacturing, conventional machining, and injection molding so that the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 are cast or forged in near net shape (i.e., the initialproduction of an end coupling is very close to the final (net) shape of the end coupling, reducing the need for surface finishing) so as to reduce machining of and cost of the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375, which in turn reduces overall costs of the substrate transport apparatus 130. The end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 may be provided as a pre-assembled / manufactured arm joint 4700 where at least a portion of one transmission member (such as at least a pulley of one or more of transmission members 490, 492, 493, 494, 495) is preinstalled in the pre-assembled arm joint 4700. Pre-assembling the arm joints 4700 may reduce manufacturing costs and reduce lead time for transport arm assembly.

[0083] One or more of the central arm section 371, 374, 371Al-371An, 374Bl-374Bn and the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 may be constructed of metallic components such as, for example, one or more of aluminum, stainless steel, Inconel or other metallic alloys, or any other suitable material. One or more of the central arm section 371, 374, 371Al-371An, 374Bl-374Bn and the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 may be constructed of any suitable material including non- metallic materials including, but not limited to, ceramics, polymers, composites, and carbon fiber. As described herein, one or more of the central arm section 371, 374, 371Al-371An, 374B1- 374Bn and the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 may be constructed using high-volume manufacturing methods (e.g., molding, casting, forging, extruded, etc.) in one or more of the near net shape or a rough shape (which requires more extensive secondary machining operations than near net shape casting, forging, molding, etc.), noting that an interior of the one or more of the central arm section 371, 374, 371Al-371An, 374Bl-374Bn and the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 may be forged, cast, etc. to near net shape while an exterior is forged, cast, etc. to a rough shape. The secondary machining operations may include, but are not limited to conventional machining, cutting, grinding, electromagnetic discharge machining, etc. Examples, of arm components that have both as formed (e.g., cast, forged, extruded, etc.) surface(s) and machined surface(s) / features are illustrated in Figs. 5-7. Fig. 5 illustrates an end coupling 370, 373 as formed (e.g., in near net shape or rough shaped) and a corresponding finished end coupling 370, 373 with machined (using methods as noted herein) surfaces / features. Fig. 6 illustrates an end coupling372, 375 as formed (e.g., in near net shape or rough shaped) and a corresponding finished end coupling 372, 375 with machined (using methods as noted herein) surfaces / features. Fig. 7 illustrates a central arm section 371, 374 as formed (e.g., in near net shape or rough shaped) and a corresponding finished central arm section 371, 374 with machined (using methods as noted herein) surfaces / features.

[0084] As can be seen in Figs. 4A-4C, each of the upper arm link 213 and forearm link 212 has a respective height AH. The height AHI of the forearm link 212 may be less than the height AH2 of the upper arm link 213 (or vice versa), although the height AHI of the forearm link 212 may be substantially the same as the height AH2 of the upper arm link 213. The respective heights AHI, AH2 may depend on a number of pressure vessels or tubes PT1-PT3 (as described herein - see Figs. 3B, 3C, and 4E) extending through the arm link or a position of the arm link in the serially coupled arm links (e.g., where the height of the arm links decrease the further away from the shoulder axis SX).

[0085] Referring again to Figs. 3A-3C, the transport arm may include at least one end effector 211 A, 21 IB (also referred to herein as a substrate holder). For exemplary purposes two end effectors 211 A, 21 IB are illustrated, but as noted herein, the transport arm may have any suitable number of end effectors, each end effector having any suitable configuration for holding one or more substrates. Each of the end effector 211A, 21 IB is rotatably and separately joined to a joint at a common end of the forearm link 212 so that each end effector 211 A, 21 IB rotates relative to the forearm link 212 about the joint, or a common axis of rotation formed thereby (see, e.g., the wrist axis or joint WX).

[0086] Referring Again to Figs. 3A-3C, 3H, and 4E, the outer housing 213H, 212H of the at least one movable arm link 213, 212 is configured so that the at least one movable arm link 213, 212 forms a pressure vessel, with the respective axis (or axes) of rotation SX, EX, WX extending from the pressure vessel. For example, each of the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 and arm central arm sections 371, 374 include at least one atmospheric or pressurized chambers (also referred toherein as pressure vessels) ACH1-ACH5, PT1-PT3 that are sealed in any suitable manner from the sealed or vacuum (e.g., depressurized) environment of the transport chamber 125A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G (or other chamber holding a process vacuum) in which the transport arm is disposed. For example, at the shoulder axis SX and elbow axis EX, the pressurized chambers ACH1-ACH3 may be sealed at least in part by cap plates 386 and respective annular seals 386S (such as O-rings or other suitable static seals) and one or more ferro-fluidic seals FFS. At the wrist axis, which is exposed to higher temperatures than the elbow and shoulder axes, the pressurized chamber(s) ACH4, ACH5 are sealed at least in part by cap plates 387, 387E, 387EA (see also Fig. 3H and 31) and respective annular seals 387S.

[0087] As illustrated in Fig. 3B, 3C and 4E, the respective pressurized chambers ACH1-ACH2 of the end couplings 370, 372 of movable arm link 213 are communicably coupled to each other by at least one pressure tube PT1. The shoulder axis of rotation SX of the movable arm link 213 extends from the shoulder pressure chamber ACH1 to an interior of the base 201 through, for example, a hollow drive shaft 200M1D of a direct drive shoulder motor 200M1 (also referred to as a brushless electrical machine) of the drive section 200 (which direct drive shoulder motor 200M1 is directly coupled to and directly drives the movable arm link 213 about the shoulder axis SX). Here, the at least one sealed housing part 370 houses at least a portion of the brushless electrical machine 200M1. The elbow axis of rotation EX of the movable arm link 212 extends from the pressure chamber ACH2 of elbow end coupling 372 to the pressure chamber ACH3 of the elbow end coupling 373 through, for example, a hollow drive shaft 200M2D of a direct drive elbow motor 200M2 of the drive section 200 (which direct drive elbow motor 200M2 (also referred to herein as a brushless electrical machine) is directly coupled to and directly drives the movable arm link 212 about the elbow axis EX). Here, the at least one sealed housing part 372, 373 houses at least a portion of a brushless electrical machine 200M2. The pressure chambers ACH4, ACH5 of the wrist end coupling 375 are respectively communicably coupled to the pressure chamber ACH3 of the end coupling 373 by a respective at least one pressure tubes PT2, PT3.

[0088] Referring to Figs. 3D, 4E, and 8C, the pressure tubes PT1-PT3 are sealed against respective end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 in any suitable manner. For example, each end coupling 370, 372, 373, 375 has at least one aperture 555, 555A, 555B into which at least part of a respective pressure tube PT1-PT3 is inserted The apertures 555, 555A, 555B may be arranged in a row or in a two-dimensional array. Each pressure tube PT1-PT3 may include at least one annular seal 801 A, 80 IB (such as an O-ring or any other suitable static seal) that interfaces both an outer surface of the pressure tube PT1-PT3 and the surface of the respective aperture 555, 555A, 555B to, at least in part, seal the pressurized chambers ACH1-ACH5 from the vacuum environment. Insertion of the pressure tube PT1-PT3 into the aperture 555, 555A, 555B compresses the annular seals 801 A, 80 IB sealing the pressurized chambers ACH1-ACH5 from the vacuum environment. Each pressure tube PT1-PT3 may include an annular flange 810 and an annular seal 811 abutting the annular flange 810. With the pressure tube PT1-PT3 inserted into the aperture 555, 555A, 555B the annular flange 810 compresses the annular seal 811 against the machined surface of the respective end coupling 370, 372, 373, 375 to seal the pressurized chambers ACH1-ACH5 from the vacuum environment, where the compressive force against the annular seal 811 is effected from the fastening of the end couplings 370, 372, 373, 375 to the respective central arm section 371, 374. The pressure tubes PT1-PT2 may include both or any suitable combination of the annular flange 810 and the annular seals 801A, 801B, 811.

[0089] As described herein, each pressure tube PT1-PT3 has a minimized interior volume to minimize the surface area, of the respective arm link, that is exposed to the vacuum environment (and pressure differential created thereby). For example, the hollow drive shafts 200M1D, 200M2D and the pressure tubes PT1-PT3 are configured for the passage of one or more of electrical / communication cables CBL (which may be fiber-optic or Ethernet cables, or other suitable cables / conductors that transmit one or more of electricity and data), cooling line tubes CLTB, and exhaust line tubes EXL from, for example, the base 201 to the wrist axis WX (e.g., the wrist end coupling 375). A sort-range proximity wireless network (as described herein where data (and / or power) is transmitted between a transmitter and receiver over a minimized spatial gapMAG) may be employed for high-speed data transmission throughout at least the articulated arm 333 of the substrate transport apparatus 104. It is noted that proximity data transmission, such as that described herein, does not require changes to the communication protocol (e.g., 3jnet to WiFi to Ethernet or any other suitable protocol) as the proximity data transmission operates on the physical layer (of the Open Systems Interconnect reference model) between nodes enabling support for industrial networks including, but not limited to, EtherCat, profibus, and deviceNet so as to effect real time data transmission.

[0090] One or more of the pressure tubes PT1-PT3 may be sized so that the one or more of the electrical / communication cables CBL, cooling line tubes CLTB, and exhaust line tubes EXL extending there through occupy the internal volume of the pressure tube PT1-PT3 leaving as little empty space within the pressure tube PT1-PT3 as possible. One or more pressure tubes PT1-PT3 may be employed for the transfer (e.g., inlet or exhaust) of fluid only, where the pressure tube PT1-PT3 has a minimized size for providing a predetermined volumetric flow rate of fluid to effect, for example, cooling of transport arm components. In this manner, the central arm sections 371, 374, but for the minimized volume of the pressure tube(s) PT1-PT3, may be depressurized to the process (high) vacuum of the transfer chamber.

[0091] Figs. 3D-3G illustrate exemplary rotary joint configurations where the hollow drive shafts 200M1D, 200M2D and the pressure tubes PT1-PT3 are configured for the passage of one or more of electrical / communication cables CBL, cooling line tubes CLTB, and exhaust line tubes EXL. The rotary joint configurations provide for wireless delivery of at least data communication over an air gap MAG (the term air being used herein for convenience as the gap may exist in a vacuum atmosphere as described herein with respect to the wrist axis). The rotary joint may also provide for power delivery through a slip-ring 379 (such as at the shoulder and elbow joints) but the power delivery may be wireless power delivery (such as at one or more of the wrist joint, the shoulder joint, and the elbow joint) similar to that of the wireless data communication over the air gap MAG. The power delivery and data communication effected by the present disclosure may provide for the integration of sensors and / or actuators / direct drive motors) into the articulated arm 333, asdescribed herein, while isolating the sensors and actuators from the vacuum environment in which the articulated arm 333 operates. Any cabling, cooling tubes, and other electronics (including at least the sensors (such as the encoders, substrate sensors, sensors of metrology kits, sensors of accessory devices, imaging / vision sensors, thermal sensors, displacement sensors, etc. described herein) and direct drive motors described herein) are embedded within the atmospheric chambers ACH1-ACH5 (see Figs. 3C) within the articulated arm 333 structure, which may substantially eliminate contamination of the vacuum environment due to outgassing of the cabling, cooling tubes, and other electronics.

[0092] While Figs. 3D-3G illustrate the elbow joint of the articulated arm 333, the shoulder joint and / or the wrist joint may be similarly configured. Referring also to Fig. 3B, a conduit 381 may extend through the hollow drive shaft 200M2D and motor rotor (the motor rotor being formed by the drive shaft, or vice versa, or otherwise coupled thereto). The conduit 381 may otherwise formed by the hollow drive shaft 200M2D and / or motor rotor. The conduit 381 includes a rotary manifold or union 381M1, 381M2 at each end of the conduit 381, on opposite sides of the rotary joint (in this example, the elbow joint). The manifold 381M1 includes a stationary (relative to the upper arm 213) portion 382 and a movable (relative to the upper arm 213) portion 383 that forms a portion of or is otherwise communicably connected to the conduit 381. The input portion 382 is fixed to the end portion 372 of the upper arm 213 so as to be stationary relative to the upper arm 213, and is configured for coupling with one or more cooling line tubes CLTB. The conduit 381 and the movable portion 383 of the manifold 381M1 are coupled to the motor rotor and / or drive shaft 200M2D so as to rotate about the elbow axis EX as a unit with the end portion 373 of the forearm 212 (i.e., the movable portion 383 is stationary relative to the forearm 212 but rotates about the elbow axis EX relative to the upper arm 213). The movable portion 383 of the manifold 381M1 is sealed against the stationary portion 382 of the manifold 381M1 by any suitable annular shaft seal(s) 381MS so as to form the rotary manifold 381M1. The rotary manifold 381M1 provides for the one or more cooling line tubes CLTB to remain stationary relative to the upper arm 213 while cooling fluid passes between the conduit 381 and the one or more cooling line tubesCLTB with the conduit 381 (and forearm 212) rotating about the elbow axis EX. The manifold 381M2 includes one or more couplings configured to couple with cooling line tubes CLTB and, as noted above, is fixed (relative to the forearm 212).

[0093] Each of the manifolds 381M1, 381M2 also includes a respective aperture that is sealed against at least one communication cable CBL, where the communication cable CBL that extends through the conduit 381. This communication cable(s) CBL is any suitable communication cable(s) that provides for high-speed data communication to, for example, the motors 200M1- 200M3B, the encoders 388, 389, 389A, and / or any other suitable electronics integrated with the articulated arm 333. In the upper arm 213, the at least one communication cable enters the conduit 381 through a seal 385A of the manifold 381M1, extends through the conduit 381 in a common passage with the cooling fluid flow, and exits the conduit 381 through another seal 385B of the manifold 381M2 (the seals 385A, 385B forming a seal between the respective manifolds and the at least one communication cable). The communication cable CBL extending through the conduit 381 may be replaced with an optical or radio frequency data coupling having transmitters and receivers disposed at the seals 385A, 385B for data transmission through the conduit 381. The seals 385A, 385B may be zero pressure seals (e g., there is substantially no pressure differential on opposite sides of the seal) that provide structural support for holding one or more cables CBL within the articulated arm 333. The seals 385A may also substantially prevent cooling fluid from exiting conduit 381 at the wire feedthroughs, such that the cooling fluid is directed from within the conduit 381 to predetermined cooling fluid outlets or couplings (see Fig. 3E. The cooling fluid couplings may be coupled to any suitable tubing (the tubing being illustrated in Figs. 3D, 3F, 3G in end portion 372 but not shown in end portion 373 for clarity) that extends through a respective arm link (such as from the atmospheric chamber (see atmospheric chambers ACH1-ACH5 in Fig. 3C) of one end portion 370, 372, 373, 375 to the atmospheric chamber of another end portion 370, 372, 373, 375 through a respective pressure tube PT1-PT3 of the central arm section 371, 374; although, the cooling fluid couplings may be open to the atmospheric chamber of a respective end portion 370, 372, 373, 375.

[0094] To effect data transmission through the rotary joint, noting again that the conduit 381 rotates relative to the upper arm 213, a wireless transmitter 377T is fixed (i.e., stationary) to the end portion 372 of the upper arm 213. A wireless receiver 377R (having, e.g., a disk shaped antenna or any suitably shaped antenna) is fixed to the conduit 381 (such as to the end of the manifold 381M1), so as to rotate with the conduit 381 as a unit, and is coupled to the communication cable CBL. The wireless transmitter 377T (having, e.g., a disk shaped antenna or any suitably shaped antenna) is positioned relative to the wireless receiver 377R so as to transmit data therebetween. It should be understood that while a transmitter and receiver 377T, 377R are illustrated, the positions of the transmitter and receiver may be reversed, there may be two transceivers (to provide two way data communication), or there may be two sets of transmitters and receivers (to provide two way data communication). The transmitter and receiver 377T, 377R may be configured for optical communication, radio frequency (e.g., Wi-Fi, near field communication, ultra-wide band, millimeter wave, etc.) communication, inductive communication, or other short range wireless communication protocols such as those described herein (e.g., Bluetooth®, infrared, Zigbee®, etc.) that operate over very short distances such as about 20 mm or less than about 20 mm (the communication distances may be more than about 20 mm). The short-range communication effects secure data transmissions and immunity to radio frequency noise within the semiconductor manufacturing FAB or factory. A minimized air gap MAG is provided between transmitting and receiving portions of the transmitter and receiver 377T, 377R. The minimized air gap is sized to be about the smallest gap possible that provides for rotation of the receiver 377R relative to the transmitter 377T without contact therebetween.

[0095] Still referring to Figs. 3B, 3D, and 3E, electrical power is transferred through the rotary joint through a slip-ring 379. For example, the brush block 379B of the slip-ring 379 is fixedly (stationary) coupled to the end portion 372 of the upper arm 213, while the rotating ring 379R of the slip-ring is fixed (e.g., relative to the conduit 381) to the conduit 381 so as to rotate as a unit with the conduit 381. Electrical power is fed to the brush block 379B with any suitable power cable CBL and from the rotating ring into the forearm 212 with any suitable power cable CBL thatis routed adjacent the conduit 381 and within the drive shaft 200M2D. The power fed through the articulated arm 333 via the cables and slip rings (and in some instances through wireless couplings) provides power to the motors 200M1-200M3B, the encoders 388, 389, 389A, and / or any other suitable electronics integrated with the articulated arm 333.

[0096] As can be seen in Figs. 3D and 3E, the rotary joints provide for substantially unlimited rotation of the forearm 212 relative to the upper arm 213. Further, because the cables CBL and cooling line tubes in the upper arm 213 at the elbow joint only interface with components that are stationary relative to the upper arm 213 (e.g., the transmitter 377T, the stationary portion 382 of the manifold 381M1, the brush block 379B of the slip-ring 379) the cables CBL and cooling line tubes CLTB do not flex or move with articulation of the forearm 212 relative to the upper arm 213, which may increase reliability and useful life of the cables CBL and tubes CLTB. Similarly, because the cables CBL and cooling line tubes in the forearm 212 at the elbow joint only interface with components that are stationary relative to the forearm 212 (e.g., the receiver 377R, the movable portion 383 of the manifold 381M1, the rotating ring 379R of the slip-ring 379) the cables CBL and cooling line tubes CLTB do not flex or move with articulation of the forearm 212 relative to the upper arm 213, which may increase reliability and useful life of the cables CBL and tubes CLTB. As may be realized, where substantially unlimited rotation of an arm joint is not required or otherwise desired, the one or more of the electrical slip ring and data transmitter / receiver may be removed such that the power and / or data cable(s) extend through the conduit 381 to the seal 385B (with the conduit 381 being stationarily fixed to the upper arm 213) where the cable(s) form a clock spring in the forearm 212 that winds and unwinds (in a manner similar to that of a spiral clock spring) as the forearm 212 rotates relative to the upper arm 213.

[0097] Referring also to Fig. 3P, both power transmission and data communication through the rotary joint may be wireless. For example, the rotary joint, such as the elbow joint (although the shoulder joint and / or the wrist joint may be substantially similar), is substantially similar to that illustrated in Figs. 3D and 3E. A data transmitter 377T and power transmitter 379TX may be disposed within the sealed housing part 372. Each of the data transmitter 377T and powertransmitter 379TX have a respective transmitter antenna 377TA, 379TXA disposed within the sealed housing part 372. One or more of the data transmitter 377T, power transmitter 379TX, antenna 377TA, and antenna 379TXA may form a part of the sealed housing part 372, although the one or more of the data transmitter 377T, power transmitter 379TX, antenna 377TA, and antenna 379TXA may form a part of the sealed housing part 372 may be coupled to the sealed housing part 372 in any suitable manner.

[0098] A data receiver 377RA and power receiver 379RX are disposed on the hollow drive shaft 200M2D of the motor 200M2 and are coupled to a respective data receiving antenna 377RA and power receiving antenna 379RXA. The antennae 377RA, 377RXA may be in the form of discs to as to maintain communication with the respective transmitting antenna 377TA, 379TXA as the arm link 212 is rotated relative to the arm link 213.

[0099] One or more of the receivers 377R, 379RX and antennae 377RA, 379RXA may be disposed on the hollow drive shaft 200M2D so as to form a part of a seal member SLM that seals the vacuum atmosphere (e.g., in which the motor rotor is located) from the internal atmosphere of the sealed housing part 372. The one or more of the receivers 377R, 379RX and antennae 377RA, 379RXA may be disposed on or otherwise be coupled to the seal member SLM. As can be seen in Fig. 3P, the seal member SLM may at least in part seal the read head ENH of the encoder from the vacuum atmosphere, although the read head ENH may be sealed from the vacuum atmosphere in any suitable manner.

[0100] While the data transmitter 377T, power transmitter 379TX, antenna 377TA, and antenna 379TXA are illustrated towards a bottom of the hollow drive shaft 200M2D or a bottom (the spatial term “bottom” is used here for convenience) of the sealed housing part 372 with the receivers 377R, 379RX and antennae 377RA, 379RX disposed on the hollow drive shaft 200M2D; although, the one or more of the data transmitter 377T, power transmitter 379TX, antenna 377TA, and antenna 379TXA may be disposed towards a top (the spatial term “top” is used here for convenience) of the sealed housing and towards a bottom the sealed housing part 372 while thereceivers 377R, 379RX and antennae 377RA, 379RX are disposed towards a bottom of the sealed housing part 373 so as to communicate with each other through the housing part walls and vacuum atmosphere between the arm links 212, 213.

[0101] Referring to Figs. 3B and 3F, the rotary joint, such as the elbow joint (although the shoulder joint and / or the wrist joint may be substantially similar), is substantially similar to that illustrated in Figs. 3D and 3E. However, the cooling fluid and the communication cable CLB may not share a common passage. Here, the conduit 381 forms two concentric chambers or passages where the cooling fluid flows through the outer chamber and the communication cable CBL extends through the inner chamber. The dual chambers of the conduit 381 may provide an increase in laminar cooling fluid flow compared to the cooling fluid flow of Fig. 3D, where the communication cable CBL is disposed within and is in direct contact with the cooling fluid flow.

[0102] Referring to Figs. 3B and 3G, the rotary joint, such as the elbow joint (although the shoulder joint and / or the wrist joint may be substantially similar), is substantially similar to that illustrated in Figs. 3D and 3E. However, both the power cable CBL and communication cable CBL extend through an interior of the hollow drive shaft 200M2D and are in direct contact with the cooling fluid flow. Here, both the power cable CBL and communication cable CBL enter the interior of the hollow drive shaft 200M2D through the seal 385 A. The conduit 381 (which is similar to the double chamber conduit of Fig. 3F, but may be similar to the single chamber conduit of Fig. 3D) may be coupled to (e.g., sealed against so as to rotate as a unit with) and terminates at the bottom of the motor rotor or drive shaft 200M2D. The conduit 381 may extend into the forearm 212 in a manner similar to that illustrated in Figs. 3D and 3F. The inner chamber includes the seal 385F that seals against the cables CBL as the cables CBL enter the interior of the hollow drive shaft 200M2D.

[0103] Referring to Figs. 3A, 3C, and 3H, the wrist axis WX may include one or more radial flux motors 200M3A, 200M3B (also referred to as brushless electrical machines) having respective stator(s) 391, rotor(s) 392, and an output or drive shaft 300M3AD, 300M3BD coupled to therespective rotor 392. Here, the at least one sealed housing part 375 houses at least a portion of a brushless electrical machines 200M3A, 200M3B. The end effector 211, 211 A, 21 IB is coupled to the respective drive shaft 300M3AD, 3OOM3BD for rotation about the wrist axis WX. Each stator 391 of the motors 200M3A, 200M3B may be sealed, from the vacuum environment in which the transport arm operates, by any suitable isolation wall 395. Suitable examples of radial flux motors and isolation walls that can be incorporated into the wrist axis WX are described in United States patent numbers 9,948,155 issued April 17, 2018 and 9,186,799 issued on November 17, 2015, the disclosures of which is incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. As an example, referring to motor 200M3A (motor 200M3B is substantially similar) the stator 391 (and the stator coils thereof) is disposed within the pressure chamber ACH4, where the pressure chamber ACH4 is sealed by the cap plates 387 (and the respective seals 387S) and the isolation wall 395. The isolation wall 395 is in substantial contact with the cap plates 387 where any suitable static seal(s) (such as O-rings) 395S are compressed (at least by the pressure differential between the atmospheric and vacuum pressures) between isolation wall 395 and the cap plates 387. The isolation wall 395 may be a thin membrane mounted to or otherwise coincident with the pole or core of the stator 391 so that the stator substantially supports the isolation wall. The isolation wall 395 may be structurally bonded to, for example, the inner diameter of (or any other suitable portion of) the stator 391 in any suitable manner using any suitable bonding agent so that the isolation wall 395 is integrated with (e.g. forms a unitary structure or assembly with) the stator 391 and / or depends from the stator 391. The isolation wall 395 may be a coating formed on or otherwise affixed to the pole or core of the stator 391. The isolation wall 395 may extend beyond the stator 391 to interface with the cap plates 387. As can be seen in Fig. 3H, the isolation wall 395 may not support any additional structural loading other than the pressure differential loading between the vacuum and atmospheric environments (i.e. the pressure differential loading is shared between the isolation wall and stator).

[0104] As may be realized, the motor 200M3A, 200M3B may have rotors that employ magnets, which can be affected by gases used in the semiconductor manufacturing process. As describedherein, the motor rotors of the elbow motor 200M2 and shoulder motor 200M1 are sealed from the vacuum environment by at least ferro-fluidic seals FFS. For the wrist location, which is subject to temperatures that may be too great for the use of ferro-fluidic seals, the rotor magnets 392M of the rotor 392 are encapsulated to isolate the magnets 392M from the vacuum environment. For example, at least a portion of the rotor 392 is encapsulated with a hermetically sealed, non-ferrous housing 392H that seals the magnets 392M from the vacuum environment substantially without degradation of motor performance. The non-ferrous housing 392H may extend over, so as to encapsulate, the magnets 392M and be hermetically sealed to the rotor 392 in any suitable manner (such as by any suitable vacuum compatible sealant, adhesive, epoxy, etc.).

[0105] Referring also to Fig. 3L, power and / or data may be wirelessly transferred from the atmospheric chambers ACH4, ACH5 of the wrist (e.g., of the end portion or sealed housing part 375) to the end effectors 211 A, 21 IB. For example, power and / or data communication is provided to the wrist, via cables, for effecting operation of at least the drive motors 200M3A, 200M3B and the respective encoders 389, 389A, where the cables extend through one or more respective pressure tubes PT2, PT3 into respective atmospheric chambers ACH4, ACH5. A short-range proximity wireless communication network may be provided for transferring power and / or data to and / or from the end effector 211A, 21 IB. The short-range proximity wireless communication network may include a power and / or data transmitter 34 IT disposed within the wrist and a power and / or data receiver 341R disposed in the end effector 211A, 21 IB. The short-range proximity wireless communication network may be employed for power and / or data transmission between the frame 201 and the upper arm 213 and / or between the upper arm 213 and forearm 212. Referring to atmospheric chamber ACH4, the power and / or data transmitter 341T is disposed within the atmospheric chamber ACH4. The power and / or data transmitter 34 IT is coupled to a transmitter antenna 341 TA disposed within the vacuum environment. The transmitter antenna 341 TA is constructed of any suitable vacuum compatible material (e.g., such as stainless steel) and is affixed to the end portion 375 in any suitable manner (such as with any suitable fasteners). Any suitable seals (such as O-rings) may be provided between the transmitter antenna 341 TA and theend portion 375 so as to seal any feedthroughs that couple the transmitter antenna 341TA to the power and / or data transmitter 34 IT. The transmitter antenna 341 TA may circumscribe the drive shaft 200M3 AD of the motor 200M3 A (and hence, the coupling between the drive shaft 200M3 AD and the respective end effector 21 IB) so that as the end effector 21 IB rotates, wireless communication between the power and / or data transmitter 34 IT and the end effector 21 IB is substantially maintained.

[0106] A power and / or data receiver 341R is embedded within the end effector 21 IB in any suitable manner (such as during manufacture of the end effector or within a sealed atmospheric chamber within the end effector 21 IB). A receiver antenna 34 IRA is disposed within the vacuum environment. The receiver antenna 34 IRA is constructed of any suitable vacuum compatible material (e.g., such as stainless steel) and is affixed to the end effector 21 IB in any suitable manner (such as with any suitable fasteners). Any suitable seals (such as O-rings) may be provided between the receiver antenna 341RA and the end effector 21 IB so as to seal any feedthroughs that couple the receiver antenna 34 IRA to the power and / or data receiver 341R. The receiver antenna 34 IRA may circumscribe the drive shaft 200M3AD of the motor 200M3A (and hence, the coupling between the drive shaft 200M3AD and the respective end effector 21 IB) so as to provide a pass through for drive shaft 200M3BD of motor 200M3B and so that as the end effector 21 IB rotates wireless communication between the power and / or data transmitter 34 IT and the end effector 21 IB is substantially maintained through wireless communication between the two ring shaped antenna 341 TA, 34 IRA. The antenna 341 TA, 34 IRA may have any suitable shapes. As an example, the antenna 341 TA, 34 IRA may be constructed of a thin foil so as to be conformal to / with the surface to which they are affixed. As may be realized, the transmitter 341 T and receiver 341R may also provide two-way data communication. In a manner similar to that described herein, the antenna 341 TA, 34 IRA are separated by the minimized gap MAG.

[0107] Still referring to Fig. 3L, power and / or data may be transmitted to (and from) the end effector 211 A in a manner substantially similar to that described with respect to end effector 21 IB. For example, a power and / or data transmitter 342T is disposed within the atmospheric chamberACH5 (while the transmitter 342T is described as transmitting both data and power, although there may be separate transmitters for power and data, such as illustrated in Fig. 3P). The power and / or data transmitter 342T may be coupled to a transmitter antenna 342TA disposed within the vacuum environment (the antenna may be at least dual band antenna with one band for power transmission and another band for data transmission, although there may be separate antennae for power and data). The transmitter antenna 342TA is constructed of any suitable vacuum compatible material (e.g., such as stainless steel) and is affixed to the end portion 375 in any suitable manner (such as with any suitable fasteners). Any suitable seals (such as O-rings) may be provided between the transmitter antenna 342TA and the end portion 375 so as to seal any feedthroughs that couple the transmitter antenna 342TA to the power and / or data transmitter 342T. The transmitter antenna 342TA may circumscribe the drive shaft 200M3BD of the motor 200M3B (and hence, the coupling between the drive shaft 200M3BD and the respective end effector 211 A) so that as the end effector 211 A rotates, wireless communication between the power and / or data transmitter 342T and the end effector 211A is substantially maintained.

[0108] A power and / or data receiver 342R is disposed within the drive shaft 200M3BD in any suitable manner so as to be within a sealed atmospheric chamber ACH6 formed at least in part by the hollow drive shaft 200M3BD (while the receiver 342R is described as receiving both data and power, although there may be separate receivers for power and data, such as illustrated in Fig. 3P). A receiver antenna 342RA is disposed within the vacuum environment and is coupled to the drive shaft 200M3BD so as to seal the receiver 342R within the drive shaft 200M2BD (the antenna may be at least dual band antenna with one band for power reception and another band for data reception, although there may be separate antennae for power and data). Any suitable data / communi cation cables CBL (or optical communication) extend within the hollow drive shaft 200M3BD from the receiver 342R to the end effector 211 A, where the end effector forms a seal with the drive shaft 200M3BD to seal the atmospheric chamber ACH6 within the drive shaft 200M3BD from the vacuum environment.

[0109] The receiver antenna 342RA is constructed of any suitable vacuum compatible material (e.g., such as stainless steel) and is affixed to the drive shaft 200M3BD in any suitable manner (such as with any suitable fasteners). Any suitable seals (such as O-rings) may be provided between the receiver antenna 342RA and the drive shaft 200M3BD so as to seal any feedthroughs that couple the receiver antenna 342RA to the power and / or data receiver 342R. The receiver antenna 342RA may have a disk shape so that as the end effector 21 IB rotates, wireless communication between the power and / or data transmitter 342T and the end effector 211A is substantially maintained through wireless communication between the ring shaped antenna 342TA and the disk shaped antenna 342RA. The antenna 342TA, 342RA may have any suitable shapes. As an example, the antenna 342TA, 342RA may be constructed of a thin foil so as to be conformal to the surface to which they are affixed. As may be realized, the transmitter 342T and receiver 342R may also provide two-way data communication. In a manner similar to that described herein, the antenna 342TA, 342RA are separated by the minimized gap MAG.

[0110] The antenna 341T, 341R, 342T, 342R may be configured for one or more of radio frequency or optical communication so as to transmit power by one or more of inductive coupling, capacitive coupling, resonant capacitive coupling, power-beaming, Wi-Fi coupling, and magnetodynamic coupling. Where radio frequency communication is employed, the radio frequency communication may be near field communication, ultra-wide band, millimeter wave or any other frequency / protocol. Where, optical communication is employed the optical communication may include beam steering for beam alignment between the antenna 341TA, 341RA, 342T, 342R. Such as where magneto-dynamic coupling is employed, the end effector 21 IB, 211 A (or one or more articulated arm links) may include an onboard battery or capacitor PWR that is incrementally charged (e.g., via wireless power transfer as described herein with respect Fig. 3L) via the magneto-dynamic coupling with articulation of one or more arm joints. One or more of the upper arm 213 and forearm 212 may include one or more onboard battery / capacitor PWR that may be incrementally charged via the magneto-dynamic coupling with articulation of one or more arm joints. There may be wireless charging stations (see, e.g., Fig. 3B) within the substrate processingapparatus to which the articulated arm 333 and / or end effector 211A, 21 IB are moved into close proximity for wirelessly charging the onboard battery / capacitor PWR. The onboard battery / capacitor PWR within the one or more of the upper arm 213 and forearm 212 may be discharged and the power from the battery / capacitor PWR may be wirelessly transmitted to the end effector 211A, 21 IB in the manner described herein.

[0111] Referring to Figs. 1A-1I, 3A-3C, and 3R, the power and / or data communication interface WPDC is configured as a non-contact wireless data transfer or communication module 180 that includes a housing 2010 having lower or first or static housing part 2000 and an upper or second or dynamic housing part 205. The first housing part 2000 and the second housing part 205 are coupled to each other with any suitable fasteners, such as screws, bolts, welds, mechanical or chemical adhesive / bonding, etc. A rotating shaft or rotor 2100 is rotatably coupled to the second or dynamic housing part 205 such as by any suitable bearing 215, which may be a deep groove radial ball bearing, tapered bearing, or any other suitable bearing that provides for axial / radial alignment between wireless data communication modules 255 of the wireless data transfer module 180.

[0112] The wireless data transfer module 180 includes a pair of what may be referred to as carrier printed circuit boards (PCBs) 250, 251. One of the printed circuit boards 250 is coupled in any suitable manner, such as with suitable fasteners (screws, bolts, mechanical or chemical adhesive / bonding, etc.), to the first housing part 2000. The other of the printed circuit boards 251 is coupled in any suitable manner, such as with the suitable fasteners) to the rotating shaft 2100 so that the other printed circuit board 251 rotates as a unit with the rotating shaft 2100. Each of the printed circuit boards 250, 251 include a respective mmWave wireless data communication module 255, such as the Rosenberger RoProxCon® system-on-module (SoM) which is a surface mounted, full-duplex, mmWave module that achieves transmission rates up to 3.125 Gbps, although any suitable communication module may be employed. The printed circuit boards 250, 251 are mounted relative to each other so antennas of the wireless data communication modules 255 face each other and remain in axial / radial alignment with each other at least in part via thepositional constraints provided by the bearing 215 rotationally coupling the rotating shaft 2100 and the housing 2010.

[0113] Referring also to Fig. 3S, the printed circuit boards 250, 251 each include an alignment hole 401 and slot 402 feature that may provide precise alignment of the respective printed circuit 250, 251 to the housing parts (e.g., the first housing part 2000 and the second housing part 205). The printed circuit board 251 is coupled to the first housing part 2000 where the first housing part includes apertures 290A, 290B (e.g., holes that receive locating pins or shoulder bolts / screws 291) that are disposed at predetermined and known locations relative to the first housing part 2000. The printed circuit board 251 includes the alignment hole 401 that is aligned with one of the apertures 290A, 290B so that an alignment pin or shoulder bolt / screw 291 extends through the alignment hole 401 into the aperture 290A, 290B to locate the printed circuit board 251 in a predetermined known location within the first housing part 2000. The slot 402 is aligned with the other aperture 290A, 290B so that another alignment pin or shoulder bolt / screw 291 extends through the slot 402 into the other aperture 290A, 290B to rotationally locate the printed circuit board 251 in a predetermined known location within the first housing part 2000. The slot is configured to prevent over-constraint of the printed circuit board 251 when coupled to the first housing part 2000.

[0114] The rotating shaft 2100 is disposed in a predetermined known location relative to the apertures 290A, 290B and the printed circuit board 251 by the bearing 215 so that an axis of rotation SAX of the rotating shaft 2100 is substantially aligned with the wireless data communication module 255 of the printed circuit board 251. The rotating shaft 2100 includes apertures 290C, 290D (e.g., holes that receive locating pins or shoulder bolts / screws 291) that are disposed at predetermined and known locations relative to the rotating shaft 2100. The printed circuit board 250 includes the alignment hole 401 that is aligned with one of the apertures 290C, 290D so that an alignment pin or shoulder bolt / screw 291 extends through the alignment hole 401 into the aperture 290C, 290D to locate the printed circuit board 250 in a predetermined known location on the rotating shaft 2100. The slot 402 is aligned with the other aperture 290C, 290D so that another alignment pin or shoulder bolt / screw 291 extends through the slot 402 into the otheraperture 290C, 290D to rotationally locate the printed circuit board 250 in a predetermined known location on the rotating shaft 2100. The slot is configured to prevent over-constraint of the printed circuit board 250 when coupled to the rotating shaft 2100. Coupling of the printed circuit board 250 to the rotating shaft 2100 with the alignment hole 401 and slot 402 aligns the wireless data communication module 255 of the printed circuit board 250 with the axis of rotation SAX of the rotating shaft 2100 so that the wireless data communication modules 255 of the printed circuit boards 250, 251 are aligned with each other (e.g., substantially along the axis of rotation SAX) throughout rotation of the rotating shaft 2100 about the axis of rotation SAX.

[0115] The bearing 215 of the housing 2010, which provides axial / radial alignment of the wireless data communication modules 255 of the two printed circuit boards 250, 251 (e.g., about the axis of rotation or central axis SAX of the rotating shaft 2100) throughout rotation, may maintain a predetermined separation gap / distance G between the wireless data communication modules 255.

[0116] The housing 201 provides a clean and constant environment, both from an environmental and radio frequency perspective, to enable the wireless data communication module 255 to function optimally. The separation distance G and axial alignment between the wireless data communication module 255 may provide for a high bitrate, error free communication.

[0117] Referring to Figs. 3A-3C, 3Q and 3R, the rotating portions of the wireless data transfer module 180 (e g., the rotating shaft 2100 and printed circuit board 250) may be connected to a shaft 290 (i.e., a drive shaft such as of a direct drive motor (see shafts 200M1D, 200M2D, 200M3AD, 200M3BD) or a driven shaft such as of a transmission system (see Fig. 11 A-l 1C and driven shafts 290F, 290E of Fig. 3T) where such shaft may be coupled to one or more of an arm link, pulley of an arm drive transmission, etc.) via a coupler 260 while the stationary portions of the wireless data transfer module 180 (e.g., the first housing part 2000, second housing part 205, and printed circuit board 251) may be mounted to any support structure available (e.g., such as an arm link, transport apparatus frame, etc ). For exemplary purposes only, Fig. 3Q illustrates the wireless data transfer module 180 disposed at the elbow joint 179E, although the wireless datatransfer module 180 may be disposed at any one or more of the shoulder joint 179S, elbow joint 179E and wrist joint 179W. The housing 2010 is coupled to the upper arm 213 in any suitable manner, such as with any suitable fasteners including, but not limited to, those described herein. The housing 2010 is coupled to the upper arm 213 so that the axis of rotation SAX of the rotating shaft 2100 is substantially aligned with (e.g., coaxial with) the elbow axis EX.

[0118] The coupler 260 couples the rotating shaft 2100 to the drive shaft 290 (which in Fig. 3Q is drive shaft 200M2D of motor 200M2), which in this example, directly drives rotation of the forearm 212 about the elbow axis EX, although where direct drive distributed motors are not employed, the coupler 260 may couple the rotating shaft 2100 to a drive pulley of any suitable transmission system (such as those described herein, see Fig. 3T) and / or employed with a coaxial drive system with motors located in the housing 200H (see Fig. 3T). The coupler 260 may be a flexible coupler so as to remedy / counteract / compensate for any misalignment and runout that may exist with respect to the drive shaft 290 and rotating shaft 2100. The coupler 260 is configured with flexibility that provides enough freedom to counteract any alignment issues between the wireless data transfer module 180 and the drive shaft 290.

[0119] Referring to Fig. 3U, where the wireless data transfer module 180 is employed against a vacuum environment, such as through a wall of a transfer chamber or through a wall of an arm link (the inside of the arm link being exposed to vacuum), the wireless data transfer module 180 may include suitable seals for vacuum environment isolation. For example, the interior of the rotating shaft 2100 (such as where the cable CBL exits the rotating shaft 2100) may include a vacuum cable pass-through 666 that seals the interior of the rotating shaft 2100 from the vacuum environment. An exterior of the rotating shaft 2100 may be sealed against the upper or second housing part 205 in any suitable manner such as by a ferro-fluidic seal 668 that is spaced from the bearing 215 by a separator ring 669. The second housing part 205 may be sealed against the wall of the vacuum chamber or arm link in any suitable manner, such as by an O-ring 667 (any suitable fasteners may be employed to couple the second housing part 205 to the wall and compress the O-ring 667). Otherwise, the wireless data transfer module 180 is the same as that described with respect to Figs. 3Q and 3R.

[0120] Referring to Figs. 3Q and 3R, a data communication cable CBLA may be routed through the upper arm link 213 (or other suitable portion(s) of the arm 333) to the housing 2010 and coupled to the printed circuit board 251 so as to transmit data signals to and from the data communication module 255 of the printed circuit board 251. Another data communication cable CBLB may be coupled to the printed circuit board 250 and routed through the drive shaft 290 to the forearm 212 (or other suitable portion(s) of the arm 333). The printed circuit board 250 rotates as a unit with the rotating shaft 2100, the rotating shaft 2100 is coupled to the drive shaft 290, and the drive shaft 290 is coupled to the forearm 212 (i.e., to drive rotation of the forearm 212 so that drive shaft 290 and forearm 212 rotate as a unit about the elbow axis EX) so that there is no relative rotation of the data communication cable CBLB relative to the forearm 212. The relative rotation of the printed circuit boards 250, 251 and the wireless data communication between the data communication modules 255 thereof, decouples the data communication cable CBLB from the upper arm 213 (and the data communication cable CBLA) so as to provide infinite rotation of the forearm 212, about the elbow axis EX, relative to the upper arm 213.

[0121] Referring to Figs. 3A-3C, 3L, and 3M, the present disclosure may provide for increased semiconductor throughput and placement accuracy. For example, one or more substrate sensors 366A-366C may be disposed on the end effector 211A, 21 IB and positioned to sense a substrate S held on the end effector. The one or more substrate sensors 366A-366C are positioned relative to each other and to the substrate holding station SHS of the end effector 211 A, 21 IB so as to have a predetermined spatial relationship with the substrate holding station SHS and sense at least three edge points SP1-SP3 on the circumference of the substrate S. The substrate sensors 366A-366C are calibrated (e.g., in the reference frame of the substrate transport apparatus 104) in any suitable manner so the controller 110, based on the three points SP1-SP3 sensed by the one or more sensors 366A-366C, determines a center SC (in the reference frame of the substrate transport apparatus 104) of the substrate S relative to a reference or center location of the end effector 211 A, 21 IBsubstrate holding station SHS. The center of the substrate S may be determined with the three points SP1-SP3 in any suitable manner such as that described in, for example, United States patent number 7,894,657 issued on February 22, 2011. The center location of the end effector 211 A, 21 IB is known (e.g., based on articulated arm and end effector geometry) in the substrate transport apparatus coordinate system where the eccentricity or offset of the substrate S relative to the center location of the end effector 211 A, 21 IB may be determined by comparing the determined center location of the substrate relative the known center location of the end effector 211A, 21 IB. Knowing the center location of the substrate S relative to the center location of the end effector 211 A, 21 IB the controller 110 may adjust the movement / traj ectory of the articulated arm 333 so that the substrate S is placed with the center of the substrate S located substantially at a center of a substrate holding location (e.g., such as of a process module 130, aligner, etc.) of the substrate processing apparatus 100A-100G.

[0122] As may be realized, automatic wafer centering (for placing or picking substrates) may be effected with the sensors 366A-366C integral to the end effector 211 A, 21 IB (e.g., substantially without sensors external to the substrate transport apparatus 104), on-the-fly, during transport of the substrate S by the articulated arm 333. As another example, the end effector may include active edge gripping of the substrate S. Here, the end effector 211 A, 211B includes one or more active grippers 367A-367C that move to engage and disengage the peripheral edge of the substrate S. Gripping the substrate S during transport enables higher substrate transport speeds, which reduce transport time and increase throughput. Power and / or data communication to the grippers 367 A- 367C and sensors 366A-366C is transferred between the wrist of the articulated arm 333 and each end effector 211A, 21 IB via wireless transfer as described above, between the antennas 341TA, 341RA.

[0123] The end effector 211A, 21 IB may be constructed with integral power / communication paths 369A, 369B formed therein. The integral power / communication paths 369A, 369B may be formed in any suitable manner such as by additive manufacturing, layering structural materials of the end effector, or in any other suitable manner so that end effector electronics / communicationis / are sandwiched and sealed (or otherwise encapsulated) within the end effector 211A, 21 IB between the structural layered materials, etc. The end effector electronics / communication may be isolated from the vacuum environment in which the articulated arm 333 operates. The end effector 211A, 21 IB may include an onboard processing unit 368 that receives communication signals from, e.g., the controller 110 and effects operation of the one or more of the sensors 366A-366C and grippers 367A-367C based on the communication signals. The processing unit 368 may also distribute power to the sensors 366A-366C and grippers 367A-367C.

[0124] As may be realized, referring to Figs. 3B-3H (see also Fig. 3P), each of the direct drive motors 200M1, 200M2, 200M3A, 200M3B include respective encoders 388, 389, 389A to which power and / or data communication is provided in the manner described herein. Here, the at least one sealed housing part 372, 375 houses at least part of the respective encoders 388, 389, 389A. The encoders 388, 389, 389A include any suitable read head ENH and any suitable encoder track(s) or scale(s) ENT (e.g., one or more of absolute position track / scale and incremental track / scale). At the elbow and shoulder joints of the transport arm, the encoder 388 may be exposed to temperatures that are about 70°C and below. As such, the encoder may be an optical encoder, a magnetic encoder, or any other suitable encoder configured for operation in a vacuum environment. At the shoulder and elbow joints the read head ENH is disposed in the respective pressurized chamber ACH1, ACH2 while the encoder track(s) ENT are disposed in the process vacuum (although, the encoder tracks may also be isolated from the vacuum environment in a manner similar to that described herein). Suitable examples of encoders that may be employed with the present disclosure, at least at the wrist and shoulder joints, are described in United States Patent number 10,742,092 issued on August 11, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0125] As an example, referring also to Figs. 3I-3K, the encoder track ENT is disposed on or otherwise coupled to the motor rotor 200MR of the respective motor 200M1, 200M2. The encoder track ENT defines at least two scales to measure position of the rotor 200MR. The at least two scales include an incremental position scale and an absolute position scale. The absolute positionscale may include additional position information required to uniquely locate the rotor 200MR position. Absolute position encoders are generally able to provide a unique location without any referencing motion. Typically, such encoders may require several scales, where each scale may be read by an independent sensor system. The number of scales may dictate the number of bits of the absolute position encoder and consequently its resolution. Using a digital absolute position scale, a digital absolute position may be read by a number of independent sensors each facing its respective scale. Each sensor may provide a state of one respective bit of a word that defines a digital position. A classical example of a pattern 905, referred to as Gray code with 5 bits is shown in Fig. 9. Each row of the pattern 905 includes a 5 bit word that indicates an absolute position, which may be expressed as an angular position in degrees. S4 represents the most significant bit of each 5 bit word and each word differs from the next one by only one single bit, typical of a Gray code sequence.

[0126] An absolute position may be obtained by utilizing a single digital scale attached to the rotor 200MR. In order to read an absolute digital position, a set of sensors (e.g., read head ENH) may be placed facing the absolute position scale at a certain interval relative to each other. The number of sensors may determine the number of bits for the absolute position. The use of a single scale design is advantageous since it allows for a smaller footprint of the absolute encoder design. The bit pattern sequence of the single scale may also have the form of a Gray code, that is, where only one bit changes at a time.

[0127] Fig. 10 shows an example of single scale 1005 for indicating absolute position. The single scale 1005 has a pattern that mimics the pattern shown for S4 in Fig. 9. By locating five sensors SO 1010, SI 1015, S2 1020, S3 1025, S4 1030 around the scale 1005 in specific locations, the sensors generate the sequence of FIG. 9 as the pattern rotates, thus generating absolute position indications for an attached rotor. It is important to understand that a scale may be constructed that utilizes any number of bits suitable for providing a desired positional resolution. The single absolute scale may be utilized in combination with an incremental scale, for example 1035 in Fig. 10 and an incremental scale sensor 1040.

[0128] In another embodiment, the single absolute scale 1005 of Fig. 10 may be used alone to simultaneously generate a digital absolute position and an interpolated incremental position within the resolution of the digital absolute position. As mentioned above, the sensors may be capable of providing digital or analog outputs. Where the sensors are capable of providing analog outputs, a digital output pattern of an absolute position scale may be generated from the analog output signals by setting thresholds for determining when a bit of the pattern changes. At the same time, the analog value of the changing signal may be measured and the changing analog values may be utilized to determine a position with additional resolution than that provided by the single absolute scale. For example, a digital signal processor may be utilized to measure the outputs of the sensors, sensing both the digital output of the sensors according to the set thresholds as well as the instantaneous analog output of the sensor that is undergoing a single bit change. This instantaneous analog output may be used to generate the interpolated position between the current digital absolute position and the next one.

[0129] At the wrist joint, as can be seen best in Figs. 3H and 31 the encoder 389, 389A may be subject to temperatures of substrate processes (such as those described herein) above about 70°C, which may be at the operational limit of optical encoders. At the wrist joint the encoder 389, 389A is a magnetic encoder where the magnetic encoder scale ENT (which may have a Gray code configuration with absolute and incremental scales similar to those described with respect to Figs. 9 and 10) is mounted to the motor rotor 392 and the encoder read head ENH is mounted within the wrist motor housing (e.g., within pressurized chamber ACH4, ACH5). Any suitable non-ferrous isolation wall 399 is disposed between the read head ENH and the vacuum environment so as to isolate the read head ENH from the vacuum environment (and at least in part, seal the pressurized chamber ACH4, ACH5 from the vacuum environment). Locating the encoder read head ENH within the pressurized chamber provides for magnetic flux from the magnetic encoder scale ENT to be sensed by the read head ENH behind the isolation wall 399 and locates the encoder 389, 389A electronics in an atmospheric environment that can be actively cooled (e.g., as described herein, such as by at least cooling line tubes CLTB).

[0130] Referring to Fig. 20, sensor feedback may be integrated into the controls logic of the substrate transport apparatus 104 to improve trajectory, repeatability, and diagnostics, without contamination of the processing environment. An exemplary architecture of a portion of the power and data communication system PDCS is illustrated in Fig. 20. Power 20101 may be transmitted to a power bus of the power data and communication system PDCS by a slip ring 379 or any suitable wireless coupling WC (including but not limited to those described herein). Data 20111 may be transmitted to a data bus of the power data and communication system PDCS by a slip ring 379 or any suitable wireless coupling WC (including but not limited to those described herein). The power and data communication system PDCS (and data communication and bus power network PDCN thereof) may provide for flexible and modular sensor integration where sensors may be added or removed from the power data and communication system PDCS as desired. The high data transmission rates provided by the data and power couplings described herein may provide for deployment of high-performance sensors within the substrate transport apparatus 104 substantially without limitations on power consumption and data bandwidth. The sensor feedback provided by the sensors coupled to the power and data communication system PDCS may be provided in real-time with respect to monitoring robot condition and operating environment (inclusive of seismic events affecting the substrate processing tool and sensing information across different areas of the substrate processing tool) where such robot condition and operating environment may be monitored by local controls of the substrate transport apparatus 104 or broadcast to external hosts for processing. Integration of the sensors into the data communication network may provide substrate transport apparatus controller access to sensing information across different areas of a processing tool in which the substrate transport apparatus 104 operates and / or provide a controller of the processing tool sensor information from the substrate transport apparatus 104 to improve operation of one or more of the substrate transport apparatus 104 and processing tool.

[0131] The exemplary architecture illustrates power 20101 and data 20111 (such as over any suitable network such as those described herein) transmission to the sensors, such as sensors 366A-366C and encoders 388, 389, 389A (or any other suitable digital, analog, and / or image processing sensors, generally referred to as sensors 20130A, 2013 OB). As described herein, the sensors 20130A, 20130B may be located within the arm assembly of the substrate transport apparatus 104, such as within an arm link 212, 213, an end effector 211 A, 21 IB, or a rotary joint (shoulder joint SX, elbow joint EX, and / or wrist joint WX). In these locations, the sensor data is connected by cable or wirelessly to a sensor input / output module 20140 that is connected to the data network, such as through a data bus 20110. In these locations, the sensor power 20101 is connected by cable or wirelessly to a sensor input / output module 20140 that is connected to the power network, such as through a power bus 20100. The sensor input / output module 20140 can be a separate module or integrated with another communication module of the power and data communication system PDCS (such as, but not limited to, another EtherCat module such as a servo amplifier 20141). This provides for sensor support scalability in a distributed architecture that support motion controls and a selective addition (or removal) of sensors to the power and data communication system PDCS as desired. With connection of a sensor 20130A, 20130B to the power and data communication system PDCS the sensor data may be accessible to other devices of the power and data communication system PDCS (such as through a data processing unit 20150) regardless of the native sensor signals (i.e., digital, analog, etc.).

[0132] Referring also to Fig. 3 J and 3K, as described above, the pressurized chambers ACH4, ACH5 are sealed, at least in part, by cap plates 387, 387E, 387EA (and the respective seals 387S) (see Figs. 3H and 31). The encoder isolation wall 399 may be integrally formed with the respective cap plate 387E, 387EA as a single unitary or monolithic member. As can be seen in Fig. 31, to facilitate the sealing of the respective pressurized chambers ACH4, ACH5 with the cap plates 387, 387E, 387EA, the wrist end coupling 375 may be a two part coupling, where one end coupling part 375A of the wrist end coupling houses wrist motor 200M3A and the other end coupling part 375B houses wrist motor 200M3B. The two end coupling parts 375A, 375B (or more end coupling parts of the wrist axis includes more than two motors) are coupled to each other in any suitable manner e.g., such as with mechanical fasteners) to form the wrist end coupling 375. Each endcoupling part 375A, 375B may be substantially similar to that described above with respect to Fig. 6. Here, the encoders 389, 389A (and the respective cap plates 387E, 387EA) are arranged adjacent each other in a mirrored arrangement at the mid-plane of the wrist end coupling 375 so as to insulate the encoders 389, 389A from the high temperature environment impinging on the exterior surfaces of the wrist end coupling 375. Each of the cap plates 387E, 387EA (and encoder scales ENT) includes a central aperture 361, through which the drive shaft 200M3BD passes.

[0133] As described herein, the encoder scale ENT is a magnetic scale that is disposed in the vacuum environment. Here, the magnetic scale is encapsulated within a hermetically sealed enclosure 396. As can be seen best in Figs. 3J and 3K (see also Figs. 3H and 31), the hermetically sealed enclosure 396 includes a ferromagnetic backing or frame 396F that includes a coupling 396C configured to couple the frame 396F to the respective motor rotor 392 (or drive shaft), such as with any suitable mechanical fasteners. The frame 396F is configured to extend radially outward relative to the axis of rotation WX so as to place the encoder scale ENT in communication with the read head ENH, although the frame 396F may have any suitable configuration in which the encoder track is positions for communication with the read head. The frame 396F includes a recess 396R in which the encoder scale ENT is disposed. A non-ferrous isolation wall 396W is placed over the encoder scale ENT and is sealed to the frame 396F (such as by welding, epoxy, or any other vacuum compatible fastening method that forms a hermetic seal) so as to encapsulate the encoder scale ENT within the frame 396F. The frame 396S or stator 391 may include a ferromagnetic shield 397 that is configured to magnetically isolate the motor rotor 392 and stator 391 from the interface between the read head ENH and encoder scale ENT.

[0134] As described above, the encoder scale ENT includes an absolute position scale that provides absolute position of the rotor 392 without employing home flags or referencing motion. Here, the absolute zero (or any suitable reference position) of absolute position scale can be mechanically aligned with the frame 396F in any suitable manner. The respective rotor 392 and stator 391 may also be disposed (e.g., rotationally aligned about the wrist axis WX)at a consistent electrical position relative to the encoder 389, 389A assembly so as to yield a consistent motorphase angle from substrate transport apparatus to substrate transport apparatus within a predetermined tolerance (e.g., such as less than about 5 electrical degrees) so as to remove the a measurement operation of the respective phase angle during assembly of the substrate transport apparatus.

[0135] As may be realized, while the encoder 389, 389A is described herein as being located at the wrist axis WX, although the encoder 389, 389A may be placed at one or more of the elbow axis EX and shoulder axis SX in lieu of the encoder 388. Here, the central aperture 361 provides for the passage of one or more of el ectrical / communi cation cables CBL, cooling line tubes CLTB, and exhaust line tubes EXL through the encoder 389, 389A assembly and into and through the drive shaft and rotor of the respective motor 200M1, 200M2.

[0136] While the above features of the present disclosure are described with respect to a transport arm having a direct drive motor disposed at each of the shoulder axis SX, elbow axis EX, and wrist axis WX, the features of the present disclosure may also be applied to transport arms with at least one slaved arm link or at least one slaved end effector. For example, Fig. 11 A illustrates a substrate transport robot having slaved end effectors 211A, 21 IB. Power and / or data may be transmitted to and / or from the slaved end effectors 211A, 21 IB in a manner similar to that described above. Here, the substrate transport arm is a dual SCARA arm that includes compartmentalized arm links 213, 212L, 212R substantially similar to those described herein. The dual SCARA transport arm includes upper arm 213 (which is compartmentalized in a manner similar to that of upper arm 213, where the upper arm 213 includes central housing part 370A and two housing parts 372, the housing part 370A being substantially similar to housing part 370), two forearms 212R, 212L depending from opposite ends 213R, 213L (e.g., relative to the shoulder axis SX) of the common (substantially rigid and unarticulated) upper arm 213. Forearm 212R is coupled to end 213R of the upper arm 213 at elbow axis EXR. Forearm 212L is coupled to end 213L of the upper arm 213 at elbow axis EXL. Each forearm 212R, 212L has at least one end effector 211A, 21 IB coupled thereto at a respective wrist axis WXR, WXL. In Fig. 11 A, the rotation of the end effectors 211 A, 21 IB is slaved to the respective upper arm portion 213L, 213R; however, a drive motormay be provided at the wrist axis WXL, WXR (e.g., in a manner similar to that described herein) for directly driving the rotation of the end effectors 211 A, 21 IB. As may be realized, providing drive motors at each axis SX, EXR, EXL, WXR, WXL effects non-linear or offset extension of the end effectors 211A, 21 IB where the drive motors are driven substantially simultaneously to extend the end effector 211, 21 IDS, 21 IDE, 21 IDT, 211DQ along a radial or non-radial path or trajectory; whereas the slaved end effector is constrained to travel along a radial line of extension and retraction.

[0137] The upper arm 213 is coupled to the frame 201 and is directly driven by drive motor 200M1 in a manner similar to that described herein. In this example, each forearm 212R, 212L is directly driven by a respective drive motor 200M2A, 200M2B in a manner similar to that described herein; however, rotation of the end effectors 211 A, 21 IB is slaved to the respective upper arm portion 213L, 213R. Here, the elbow drive pulley 1110 at each elbow axis EXL, EXR may be disposed on a respective stanchion 1110S that is fixedly (e.g., non-rotatably) coupled to the upper surface (the term upper is used here for convenience only and it should be understood that any spatial identifier may be used to refer to what is called the upper surface) of the respective upper arm portion 213L, 213R. The stanchion 1110S (and elbow drive pulley 1110) are hollow so as to circumscribe the hollow drive shaft 200M2D of the respective motor 200M2A, 200M2B. As can be seen in Fig. 11, the stanchion 1110S may have any suitable height or length depending on the arm configuration so that at least a portion of the forearms 212R, 212L and the respective end effectors 211 A, 21 IB are stacked one over one another (e.g., at least with the forearms and end effectors in the retracted configuration illustrated in Fig. 11 A).

[0138] Referring also to Figs. 11B, 11C, 12, and 13, the forearms 212R, 212L are configured so as to receive the elbow (drive) pulley 1110, a wrist (driven) pulley 1150, band(s) 1160 coupling the elbow drive pulley 1110 to the wrist driven pulley 1150, and one or more pressure tubes PT. The elbow and wrist end couplings 373, 375 may be substantially similar to those described herein; however, each of the elbow and wrist end couplings 373, 375 may be formed with a pulley cavity, a pressure chamber recess, an aperture 1200 that opens up to an interior of the hollow drive shaft200M2D, and transmission band passages. The pulley cavity and transmission band passages are open to the vacuum environment with the forearm 212L, 212R assembled. The central arm portion 374 is formed with a box or channel shaped cross section (as described above) that is open to the vacuum environment and configured to couple with the end couplings 373, 375 (e.g., with the forearm assembled) so that the elbow and wrist pulleys 1110, 1150 are coupled to each other by the bands 1160 passing through the central arm portion 374. The one or more pressure tubes also pass through the central arm portion 374 between the respective pressure chambers ACH3-ACH5 of the end couplings 373, 375.

[0139] As can be seen best in Figs. 1 IB and 11C, each of the elbow and wrist end couplings 373, 375 are bifurcated so as to form the respective pressure chamber ACH3-ACH5 (which are in communication with pressure chambers ACH2, ACH1 in a manner similar to that illustrated in Fig. 3C) and the respective pulley cavity (which is exposed to vacuum pressure). One or more pressure tubes PT, PT2, PT3 extend between elbow and wrist end couplings 373, 375 so that one or more of the el ectrical / communi cation cables CBL, cooling line tubes CLTB, and exhaust line tubes EXL extend to the wrist axis WX for providing fluid transfer to and from the pressure chamber ACH4, ACH5 and / or electrical power to the pressure chamber ACH4, ACH5. The fluid transfer (such as forced convective cooling fluid) to the pressure chamber ACH4, ACH5 may provide cooling of the wrist pulley bearings (e.g., via a conductive thermal path between the pressure chamber and the bearing coupling to the end coupling 375), which may cool the bearing mount area by about 50% to about 60% of the ambient temperature (e.g., above about 70°C or above about 100°C) of the process vacuum increasing the useful life of bearing lubricant of the wrist pulley 1150 (or in the case of a directly driven end effector, of the rotor / drive shaft bearings). The cooling of the wrist may also provide for cooling of the wireless transmitters 34 IT, 342T (e.g., via convective or conductive cooling) and or wireless receivers 341R, 342R (via conductive cooling).

[0140] Referring to Figs. 1A-1I, 3R, 3S, and 3T, the arm 333 of transport apparatus 104 is illustrated as having a drive section 200 with a coaxial drive shaft assembly 176 where drive motors200M3, 200M1 are disposed within the housing 200H for driving a respective arm link 211, 213. The motor 200M1 is coupled to the upper arm 213 by drive shaft 200M1D where the drive shaft 200M1D and upper arm 213 rotate as a unit about the shoulder axis SX under impetus of the motor 200M1D. The motor 200M3 is coupled to the end effector 211 by drive shaft 200M3D and transmissions BPTE (e.g., band and pulley transmission or any other suitable transmission) so as to drive rotation of the end effector 211 (and shaft 290EE coupled thereto) about the wrist axis WX. The forearm 212 is illustrated as being slaved to the housing 200H by transmission BPT (e.g., band and pulley transmission or any other suitable transmission) and shafts 290F, 290FA although, a motor 200M2 may be provided in the housing 200H for driving the shaft 290F to effect independent rotation of the forearm 212 about the elbow axis EX. The shaft 290FA is fixed to the forearm 212 so as to rotate as a unit with the forearm 212 about the elbow axis EX.

[0141] Wireless data communication modules 180A, 180B, 180C (configured as described above with respect to wireless data communication module 180) are respectively located at the shoulder axis SX, the elbow axis EX, and the wrist axis WX although, wireless data communication modules may not be provided at axes where data communication is not needed in a downstream (e.g., downstream being in a direction extending through the arm 333 from the shoulder axis SX to wrist axis WX) arm link. The housing 2010 of the wireless data communication module 180A is fixedly coupled to the housing 200H while the rotating shaft 2100 of the wireless data communication module 180A is coupled to the drive shaft 200M3D by a respective coupler 260. The housing 2010 of the wireless data communication module 180B is fixedly coupled to the upper arm 213 while the rotating shaft 2100 of the wireless data communication module 180B is coupled to the shaft 290FA by a respective coupler 260. The housing 2010 of the wireless data communication module 180C is coupled to the forearm 212 while the rotating shaft 2100 of the wireless data communication module 180C is coupled to the shaft 290EE by a respective coupler 260.

[0142] The data communication cable CBLA is routed into the housing 200H and coupled to the printed circuit board 251 of the wireless data transfer module 180A. The data communicationcable CBLB, which is coupled to the printed circuit board 250 of the wireless data transfer module 180A, extends through the drive shaft 200M3D into the upper arm 213. Data signals are communicated between the data communication cables CBLA, CBLB via the interface between the data communication modules 255 of the printed circuit boards 250, 251 of the wireless data communication module 180A. While the data communication cable CBLB is illustrated as being coupled to the printed circuit board 251 of wireless data transfer module 180B, the data communication cable CBLB may also provide data communication to components CC (such as encoders, other suitable sensors, motors, etc., inclusive of the wireless docking stations 345, 345A- 345C and metrology kits 340A, 340B described herein) disposed within the upper arm 213. Data communication cable CBLC, which is coupled to the printed circuit board 250 of the wireless data transfer module 180B, extends through the shaft 290FA into the forearm 212. Data signals are communicated between the data communication cables CBLB, CBLC via the interface between the data communication modules 255 of the printed circuit boards 250, 251 of the wireless data communication module 180B. While the data communication cable CBLC is illustrated as being coupled to the printed circuit board 251 of wireless data transfer module 180C, the data communication cable CBLC may also provide data communication to components CC (such as encoders, other suitable sensors, motors, etc., inclusive of the wireless docking stations 345, 345A- 345C and metrology kits 340A, 340B described herein) disposed within the forearm 212. A data communication cable CBLD, which is coupled to the printed circuit board 250 of the wireless data transfer module 180C, extends through the shaft 290EE to the end effector 211 for providing data communication signals to and from any suitable components (such as encoders, other suitable sensors, motors, etc., inclusive of the wireless docking stations 345, 345A-345C and metrology kits 340A, 340B described herein) of the end effector 211.

[0143] Referring to Figs. 3B, 3D-3G, 3N, and 30, the present disclosure may effect positioning wireless power and / or data transmission docks 345A-345C (also referred to as wireless docking stations) at any suitable location(s) of the articulated arm 333 and / or end effectors 211A, 21 IB. These wireless docking stations may provide power and high-speed data transfer to (and / or from)any suitable accessory items carried by the articulated arm 333. The accessory items are configured to effect automatic maintenance and or diagnostics of the substrate processing apparatus 100A-100G(or any portions thereof). These accessory items include, but are not limited to, metrology kits 340A, 340B. The metrology kits 340A, 340B may include any suitable sensors 340S including, but not limited to, cameras, accelerometers, thermometers, tactile sensors (e.g., pressure sensing pads, transducers, etc.), magnetometers, gyroscopes, contaminant sensors, humidity sensors, gas sensors, chemical sensors, pressure sensors, audio sensors, etc. The metrology kits 340A, 340B may also include a processor 340C. The metrology kits 340A, 340B may include a power supply 340P (e g., battery, capacitor, etc.). The metrology kit 340A may be any suitable instrumented substrate that has a shape and size similar to that of a production substrate S, but configured with one or more sensors (such as those noted above) to effect metrology of the substrate processing apparatus 100A-100G.

[0144] Power and high-speed data transmission is provided to the processor (which may distribute the power to the sensor(s) 340S and power supply 340P of the accessory item, and communicate with the sensors(s) 340S) by a mating wireless dock 340D that is configured to wirelessly mate with a respective one of the wireless docking stations 345A-345C (see also Fig. 20 described herein). Here, substantially unlimited power and high-speed data transmission is provided to the metrology kit 340A, 340B for powering the sensors 340S and / or charging the power supply 340P and for providing sensor feedback to the controller 110 (or any other suitable controller or operator station of the substrate processing apparatus 100A-100G).

[0145] While the wireless docking stations 345, 345A-345C are illustrated as being disposed on the end effector 211A, 21 IB and at the wrist joint 340B, although wireless docking station(s) may be disposed at any suitable location of the articulated arm 333 that may present a metrology kit to a desired portion of the substrate processing apparatus 100A-100G. For example, wireless docking stations may be disposed at the shoulder joint, the elbow joint, the wrist joint, on the upper arm 213, on the forearm 212, and / or on the end effector 211 A, 21 IB (or any other suitable location of the substrate transport apparatus 104). The docking stations 345, 345A-345C may have anysuitable configuration (and the mating wireless dock 340D has any suitable mating configuration) for transferring power and / or data to and / or from the metrology kit 340A, 340B. The docking stations 345, 345A-345C communicate with the mating wireless dock 340D over any suitable short-range transmission (such as those described herein) including, but not limited to, one or more of millimeter wave (ultra wide band) transmission, capacitive transmission, and inductive transmission. The metrology kit 340A, 340B is configured so that when picked up by the substrate transport apparatus 104, the mating wireless dock 340D is aligned with a respective docking station 345, 345A-345C so as to establish a wireless power / data link between the respective docking station 345, 345A-345C and the mating wireless dock 340D.

[0146] As may be realized, the wireless power and / or data communication between the substrate transport apparatus 104 and the metrology kit 340A, 340B may effect implementation of the metrology kit 340A, 340B substantially without limitations on power and / or data bandwidth. In this respect, the metrology kits 340A, 340B may include faster, more powerful processors, increased numbers of sensors, etc., which may increase performance and functionality of the metrology kits compared to conventional battery-only powered metrology kits. The performance and functionality (e g., substantially unlimited inspection / maintenance durations) of the metrology kits, compared to convention battery-only powered metrology kits, may also be increased through employment of the high-speed data transfer (e.g., at least Gigabit Ethernet or EtherCat, etc.) provided by the present disclosure.

[0147] Referring to Figs. 14-16, as described herein, the present disclosure may be employed to provide power and / or data transmission to accessory devices coupled to the articulated arm 333. For example, the accessory devices may include substrate sensors disposed on one or more of the articulated arm 333 and end effector 211 A, 21 IB. The accessory devices may include one or more of thermal sensors 1410, heating elements 1520, and imaging sensors 1610. As can be seen in Fig. 14, one or more thermal sensors 1410 may be coupled to the end portion 373 of the forearm 212 at or adjacent the elbow joint. The one or more thermal sensors 1410 may be infrared thermal sensors configured to sense at least a temperature of the substrate S, held on the end effector 211 A,21 IB, as the end effector 211 A, 21 IB rotates about the wrist axis WX so that the substrate S passes above the thermal sensor 1410. The substrate temperature may be received by the controller 110 and / or reported to an operator of the substrate processing apparatus lOOA-lOOGfor at least process control applications. The one or more thermal sensors 1410 may sense a temperature of the end effector 211A, 21 IB prior to picking a substrate S, where the end effector temperature may be employed by the controller 110 to determine a thermal growth of the end effector and / or determine whether the end effector temperature is suitable for picking a substrate (e.g., to substantially avoid thermal shock imparted to the substrate by the end effector 211A, 21 IB). Power and / or data may be transmitted to and / or from the one or more thermal sensors 1410 wirelessly such as with a wireless dock station 345 (such as illustrated in Figs. 3D, 3F, and 3G, where the thermal sensor includes a mating wireless dock 340D and is affixed to the upper arm 212 so that the mating wireless dock 340D mates with the wireless dock station 345). The one or more thermal sensors may be directly coupled to the power / data cables CBL through sealed apertures of the end portion 373. The thermal management of the end effector (or other portions of the transport arm, may be managed in a manner similar to that described in United States provisional patent having attorney docket number 390P017165-US (-#1) titled “Active Thermal Management Of Substrate Holding Apparatus On A Substrate Handling System” filed on December 19, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference herein in its entirety.

[0148] Referring to Fig. 15A, the heating elements 1520 may be disposed on a cantilevered support member 1510 that may be fixedly coupled to the end portion 373 of the forearm 212 so that the support member 1510 rotates about the elbow axis EX as a unit with the forearm 212. Referring to Fig. 15B, the support member 1510A may be fixedly coupled to the upper arm at the wrist axis WX (where the support member 1510A extends through hollow drive shafts of the wrist motors 200M3A, 200M3B. The coupling of the support member 1510A to the forearm 212 at the wrist axis is such that the support member 1510 rotates about the elbow axis EX as a unit with the forearm 212. Power and / or data may be transmitted to the heating elements in any suitable manner such as by wireless transmission from a wireless dock station 345 (such as illustrated in Figs. 3D,3F, and 3G), where each heating element 1520 includes a power and / or data receiver 341R and associated antenna 34 IRA that receives power and / or data transmitted from the power and / or data transmitter 34 IT and associated antenna 341 TA of the wireless dock station 345. The data and / or power cables CBL may be embedded (so as to be sealed from the vacuum environment) within the support member 1510 and coupled to the heating elements 1520. The data and / or power cables CBL of the support member 1510 are coupled with the data and / or power cables within the atmospheric chamber ACH3 (see Fig. 3C) of the end portion 373 of the forearm 212 through a sealed port of the end portion 373 or through a wireless docking station 345 disposed within the atmospheric chamber ACH3 of the end portion 373 (the wireless docking station 345 mating with a mating wireless dock 340D of the support member 1510). The heating elements 1520 may be employed to temper substrates before and / or after processing the substrates in the process modules 130. The heating elements 1520 may be employed to maintain a predetermined temperature of the end effector 211 A, 21 IB so as to substantially avoid thermal shock imparted to the substrates S by the end effector before or after substrate processing in a process module 130. The heating elements 1520 may be any suitable heating elements such as LED heating elements. The forearm 212 may include thermal shielding so that the heating elements 1520 substantially do not heat the forearm 212.

[0149] Referring to Fig. 16 one or more imaging sensor 1610 is disposed on at least the end portion 373 of the forearm. The imaging sensor may be a linear laser imaging sensor or any other suitable sensor for detecting an edge of at least the substrate S (e.g., CCD sensor, CMOS sensor, capacitive sensor, inductive sensor, etc.) Power and / or data transmission may be provided to the one or more imaging sensor 1610 in a manner similar to that noted above with respect to the thermal sensor 1410. An optical reflector 1610R may be disposed above the one or more imaging sensor 1610, such as on the support member 1510A (or support member 1510). The end effectors 211 A, 211B are rotated about the wrist axis WX between the optical reflector 1610R and the one or more imaging sensor 1610 so that the one or more imaging sensor 1610 senses one or more of the end effector 211A, 21 IB and a respective substrate S thereon so as to determine a position of thesubstrate S on the respective end effector 211A, 21 IB. The position of the substrate S relative to the end effector 211 A, 21 IB may be employed by the controller 110 to effect on-the-fly automatic substrate centering for placing the substrate S at a holding location (such as of a process module 130 or other holding location) or to position the end effector 211 A, 21 IB for picking a substrate S from a holding location.

[0150] As may be realized, the thermal sensors 1410, heating elements 1520, and imaging sensors 1610 of Figs. 14-16 may be used in any suitable combinations.

[0151] Referring again to Fig. 14, other sensors that may be employed with the power and / or data transmission disclosed herein include arm link thermal sensors TS1-TS5, displacement sensors DS1, DS2, and vision sensors CM. As an example, thermal sensors TS1-TS5 may be placed in each end portion 370, 372, 373, 375 where the temperature of the end portions 370, 372, 373, 375 is employed by the controller to determine, for example, an amount of thermal expansion of the respective upper arm 213 and forearm 212.

[0152] Displacement sensor DS1 may be a line-of-sight displacement sensor having a transmitter DS1A disposed in one end portion 370, 372, 373, 375 of a respective one of the upper arm 213 and forearm 212 and a receiver DS1B (or reflector where DS1A is a transceiver) in the other end portion 370, 372, 373, 375 of the respective one of the upper arm 213 and forearm 212. Here, the thermal growth of the upper arm 213 and forearm 212 may be directly measured by the controller 110 with the displacement sensor DS 1.

[0153] The displacement sensor DS2 may be a strain sensor having a strain gauge DS2G disposed in one end portion 370, 372, 373, 375 of a respective one of the upper arm 213 and forearm 212 and an anchor DS2A in the other end portion 370, 372, 373, 375 of the respective one of the upper arm 213 and forearm 212. A stain element DS2W, such as a wire or band, is stretched between the strain gauge DS2G and the anchor DS2A, where the thermal growth of the upper arm 213 andforearm 212 maybe determined by the controller 110 from a change in tension of the strain element DS2W..

[0154] The vision sensors CM may be any suitable camera (e.g., CCD, CMOS, etc.). A vision sensor CM may be placed in an arm link at each arm joint and disposed so as to view an adjacent arm link. For example, referring to the elbow joint in Fig. 14, the vision sensor CM may be disposed in the atmospheric chamber ACH2 of end portion 372 of the upper arm 213. The vision sensor CM is positioned to view the forearm 212 through the hollow drive shaft of the motor 200M2. Any suitable reference mark RM may be provided within the forearm 212 at the elbow joint and within the field of view of the vision sensor CM. The controller 110 may be configured and the vision sensor CM may be calibrated so that with the reference mark RM orientation relative to the vision sensor CM reference frame is indicative of a rotational orientation of the forearm 212 relative to the upper arm 213. Here, the rotational position of the forearm 212, relative to the upper arm 213 may be determined from the vision sensor CM rather than (or supplemental to) a determination of the rotational position of the forearm with the encoder of the motor 200M2.

[0155] Accelerometers and / or inclination sensors AIS may be placed within the articulated arm 333 (such as adjacent the wrist axis WX) so as to determine an arm droop. The controller 110 is configured to determine the arm droop based on signal received from the accelerometers and / or inclination sensors AIS and compensate for the arm droop with, for example, Z axis movement of the articulated arm 333 (here the drive section of the arm includes a Z-axis drive motor / system).

[0156] Referring to Figs. 1-16 and 17 an exemplary method will be described. In the method, the substrate transport apparatus 104 is provided (Fig. 17, Block 17000). The substrate transport apparatus 104 (described herein) may be provided with or without being mounted to the boom arm 143. As an example, the substrate transport apparatus includes a base 201 and an articulated arm (including one or more of the boom arm 143, turret 266, arm 210, arm 210A, arm 216, arm 217, arm 218, arm 219, arm 333, and any other articulated arm described herein). The articulated arm (such as those noted above) is connected to the base 201 with a terminal joint (e.g., joint(s) SXand / or BSX) about which the articulated arm rotates and extends, and having one or more movable arm links (e.g., one or more of arm links 220, 221, 212, 213 and the arm links illustrated in Figs. 2A-16), and an end effector (e.g., one or more of the end effectors illustrated in Figs. 2A-16) connected at a distal joint WX to the one or more movable arm links, the end effector having a substrate holding station SHS (see, for example, Fig. 3A noting the other end effectors described herein each have similar substrate holding station(s)) thereon.

[0157] At least one movable arm link, of the one or more movable arm links, has a housing (e.g., see housing 212H, 213H and the other arm link housing described and illustrated with respect to Figs. 2A-16) containing at least one rotary joint (e g., the joint(s) at respective axes BSX, BEX, SX, EX, WX) with an axis of rotation (see axes BSX, BEX, SX, EX, WX) about which the at least one movable arm link rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm. The housing contains at least another rotary joint (e.g., another of axes BSX, BEX, SX, EX, WX) to which at least one of another of the movable arm links and the end effector are rotatably joined to the at least one movable arm link.

[0158] The method also includes distributing power and / or data, with a power and data communication system PDCS distributed through the articulated arm, through the articulated arm (Fig. 17, Block 17010) wherein the power and data communication system PDCS has a (at least one) wireless power and / or data communication interface WPDC routed through at least one rotary joint (e.g., at least one of the joint(s) at respective axes BSX, BEX, SX, EX, WX) of the housing of the at least one movable arm link. The wireless power and / or data communication interface WPDC, through the at least one rotary joint, is configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface.

[0159] The method may include any combination of one or more of the following: a wireless power and / or data communication interface WPDC through at least the other rotary joint to the at least one of the at least one other arm link and the end effector is configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface; the noncontact wireless communication interface is at least oneof a close proximity wireless communication (as described herein) and short range wireless communication (as described herein); the noncontact wireless communication interface is a configured for close proximity wireless power and / or data communication including optical communication, radio frequency communication, Wi-Fi communication, near field communication, ultra-wide band communication, millimeter wave communication, inductive communication, Bluetooth®, infrared, and Zigbee® (as described herein); the noncontact wireless communication interface is configured for communication distance of about 20 mm or less (as described herein); the wireless noncontact power and / or data communication interface through the other rotatory joint forms a noncontact communication power and / or data link between the at least one of the other of the arm links and the end effector and the at least one movable arm link, which noncontact communication link crosses a space gap (such as gap MAG) formed by the rotary joint between the movable arm link and the at least one of the other of the arm links and end effector at the rotary joint; the housing is configured so as to form a sealed plenum (e.g., see Fig. 3C, etc.) inside housing respective parts of a transmitter and a receiver of the wireless communication power and / or data communication interface in a sealed atmosphere sealed from a depressurized environment outside the housing (see, e.g., Figs. 3D-3G3L, 3P, etc.); and any other features as described herein.

[0160] Referring to Figs. 1-16 and 18 an exemplary method will be described. In the method, a transfer apparatus (such as 125A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G) is provided (Fig. 18, Block 18000). The transfer apparatus includes a frame TCF forming a sealed chamber disposed to hold a processing vacuum therein (as described herein). The transfer apparatus also includes an articulated arm (including one or more of the boom arm 143, turret 266, arm 210, arm 210A, arm 216, arm 217, arm 218, arm 219, arm 333, and any other articulated arm described herein). The articulated arm (such as those noted above) is connected to the frame TCF, within the sealed chamber, with a terminal joint (e.g., joint(s) SX and / or BSX) about which the articulated arm rotates and extends, and having at least one movable arm link (e.g., one or more of arm links 220, 221, 212, 213 and the arm links illustrated in Figs. 2A-16), and an end effector (e.g., one or moreof the end effectors illustrated in Figs. 2A-16) connected to the at least one movable arm link, the end effector having a substrate holding station SHS (see, for example, Fig. 3 A noting the other end effectors described herein each have similar substrate holding station(s)) thereon. The sealed housing parts 370-375 are coupled to each other with at least one mechanical joint MJ forming a sealed interface (see, e.g., Fig. 3B, etc.) through which the sealed atmosphere communicates between each sealed housing part to each other sealed housing part of the outer housing

[0161] As described herein, the at least one movable arm link 213, 212 (and / or links 220, 221) has an outer housing 213H, 212H (links 220, 221 may have similar outer housings) containing at least one rotary joint (e.g., the joint(s) at respective axes BSX, BEX, SX, EX, WX) with an axis of rotation (e.g., axes BSX, BEX, SX, EX, WX) about which the at least one movable arm link rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm. Each of the outer housing is an assembly formed of housing parts 370-375 that are sealed to hold a sealed atmosphere within each outer housing, with each outer housing inside the vacuum of a sealed chamber (such as the transport chamber 125A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 125E, 125F, 125G).

[0162] The method also includes distributing power and data, with a power and data communication system PDCS distributed through the articulated arm, through the articulated arm (Fig. 18, Block 18010). The power and data communication system PDCS has a wireless power and / or data communication interface WPDC routed through each of the at least one rotary joint of the outer housing of the at least one movable arm link. The wireless power and / or data communication interface WPDC, through the at least one rotary joint, is configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface.

[0163] The method may include any combination of one or more of the following: the noncontact wireless communication interface is at least one of a close proximity wireless communication (as described herein) and short range wireless communication (as described herein); the noncontact wireless communication interface is a configured for close proximity wireless power and / or data communication including optical communication, radio frequency communication, Wi-Ficommunication, near field communication, ultra-wide band communication, millimeter wave communication, inductive communication, Bluetooth®, infrared, and Zigbee® (as described herein); the noncontact wireless communication interface is configured for communication distance of about 20 mm or less (as described herein); the wireless noncontact power and / or data communication interface through the other rotatory joint forms a noncontact communication power and / or data link between the at least one of the other of the arm links and the end effector and the at least one movable arm link, which noncontact communication link crosses a space gap (such as gap MAG) formed by the rotary joint between the movable arm link and the at least one of the other of the arm links and end effector at the rotary joint; the housing is configured so as to form a sealed plenum (e.g., see Fig. 3C, etc.) inside housing respective parts of a transmitter and a receiver of the wireless communication power and / or data communication interface in a sealed atmosphere sealed from a depressurized environment outside the housing (see, e.g., Figs. 3D- 3G3L, 3P, etc.); and any other features as described herein.

[0164] Referring to Figs. 1-16 and 19 an exemplary method will be described. In the method, the substrate transport apparatus 104 is provided (Fig. 17, Block 19000). The substrate transport apparatus 104 (described herein) may be provided with or without being mounted to the boom arm 143. As an example, the substrate transport apparatus includes a base 201 and an articulated arm (including one or more of the boom arm 143, turret 266, arm 210, arm 210A, arm 216, arm 217, arm 218, arm 219, arm 333, and any other articulated arm described herein). The articulated arm (such as those noted above) is connected to the base 201 with a terminal joint (e.g., joint(s) SX and / or BSX) about which the articulated arm rotates and extends, and having one or more movable arm links (e.g., one or more of arm links 220, 221, 212, 213 and the arm links illustrated in Figs. 2A-16), and an end effector (e.g., one or more of the end effectors illustrated in Figs. 2A-16) connected at a distal joint WX to the one or more movable arm links, the end effector having a substrate holding station SHS (see, for example, Fig. 3A noting the other end effectors described herein each have similar substrate holding station(s)) thereon.

[0165] At least one movable arm link, of the one or more movable arm links, has a housing (e.g., see housing 212H, 213H and the other arm link housing described and illustrated with respect to Figs. 2A-16) containing at least one rotary joint (e.g., the joint(s) at respective axes BSX, BEX, SX, EX, WX) with an axis of rotation (see axes BSX, BEX, SX, EX, WX) about which the at least one movable arm link rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm. The housing contains at least another rotary joint (e.g., another of axes BSX, BEX, SX, EX, WX) to which at least one of another of the movable arm links and the end effector are rotatably joined to the at least one movable arm link.

[0166] The method also includes distributing a data communication and bus power network PDCN (e.g., a network formed by and of the power and data communication system PDCS), resident on board the articulated arm, throughout the articulated arm (Fig. 19, Block 19010) from the terminal joint through the distal joint. The data communication and bus power network PDCN being housed in and crosses at least one rotary joint of the housing. The data communication and bus power network PDCN incorporates local controls (e.g., transmitters, receivers, controllers, etc. of the substrate transport apparatus described herein), and sensors (e g., the encoders, substrate sensors, sensors of metrology kits, sensors of accessory devices, imaging / vision sensors, thermal sensors, displacement sensors, and other sensors described herein) disposed respectively on the at least one movable link and each of at least the other of the movable arm links and the end effector, coupled via a network interface (e.g., such as a respective wireless power and / or data communication interface WPDC described herein) so as to effect local, on board, on the fly controls of at least one of active thermal control of the end effector, kinematic motion of the substrate holding station SHS via articulation of the one or more movable arm links of the articulated arm, substrate or process metrology, imaging of at least part of the articulated arm with an on board imaging sensor, and on board health monitoring of the articulated arm. The bus power may be direct current bus power or the bus power may be alternating current bus power.

[0167] While the power and / or data communication interface WPDC is described with respect to a transport apparatus, the power and / or data communication interface WPDC as illustrated anddescribed may provide for a modular approach to allow for easy integration into a wide range of automation applications that require data transmission across a rotating axis. While the power and / or data communication interface WPDC may be described as having a modular style implementation (see Figs. 3B, 3C and 3Q-3T), the power and / or data communication interface WPDC may be fully integrated into an existing axis of rotation via use of the rotating printed circuit board 251 and non-rotating printed circuit board 251 and / or as described with respect to Figs. 3B, 3C, 3D-3G, 3L, and 3P. This integrated implementation may be employed where space is restricted.

[0168] Where the power and / or data communication interface WPDC is employed in a vacuum environment or isolated environment (such as an inert gas environment), the rotating and nonrotating portions of the power and / or data communication interface WPDC may optionally be seperated with a hermetically sealed isolation wall HSIW (shown in Fig. 3R) constructed of any suitable material that provides for data transmission between the opposing wireless power and / or data communication components. Employment of the power and / or data communication interface WPDC in the vacuum environment or isolated environment may eliminate the cost of a rotating vacuum compatible seal at the rotational joint.

[0169] As described herein, the power and / or data communication interface WPDC may provide a solution to the signal integrity issues that slip rings pose as well as the limited rotation that a hard-cabled approach inherently introduces. The axial / radial alignment of the wireless power and / or data communication components, such as the wireless data communication modules 255 of the two printed circuit boards 250, 251 may provide for high quality signal transmission at high bandwidth and the housing 201 may provide for a homogenous, stable environment for the mm- wave radio signal transmission resulting in higher reliability in communication. The power and / or data communication interface WPDC may provide for a non-contact approach that may eliminate component life issues inherent with slip rings and hard-cabled connections.

[0170] Referring to Figs. 1A-16, 20, and 21 an exemplary method will be described in accordance with the present disclosure. The method includes providing a substrate transport apparatus 104 (Fig. 21, Block 2500) as described herein. For example, the substrate transport apparatus 104 may include the articulated arm 333 is connected to the base 201 with aterminal (rotary) joint MJ (e.g., such as one or more of axes SX, BSX) about which the articulated arm 333 extends. The articulated arm 333 has one or more movable arm links 213, 212, and an end effector 211, 211 A, 21 IB connected at a distal (rotary) joint MJ (e.g., such as at the wrist axis WX) to the one or more movable arm links 213, 212. The terminal joint and the distal joint are rotary joints MJ and the end effector 211, 211 A, 21 IB has a substrate holding location SHS thereon. At least one movable link 213, 212, of the one or more movable arm links, is coupled to a housing 370-375, 200H containing at least one rotary joint MJ with an axis of rotation SX, BSX, EX, about which the at least movable link 213, 212, rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm 333, and the at least one movable link 213, 212 has a link housing 370-375 that contains at least another rotary joint MJ, with a corresponding axis of rotation EX, WX, to which at least one of another of the arm links 212 and the end effector 211, 211 A, 21 IB are rotatably joined to the at least one movable link 213, 212. The substrate transport apparatus 104 may also include the power and data communication system PDCS.

[0171] The method includes distributing the power and data communication system PDCS through the articulated arm 333 (Fig. 21, Block 2510). The power and data communication system PDCS having a non-contact wireless data transfer or communication module 180 at the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ. The non-contact wireless data communication module 180 has a module housing 2010 that houses a transmitter and receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of a printed circuit board couple (see, at least, Fig. 3U) forming a non-contact wireless communication interface WPDC at and across the at least one rotary joint MJ, or the at least another rotary joint MJ, that decouples rotation of the at least one rotary joint MJ, or the at least another rotary joint MJ, from constraint of the power and data communication system PDCS so that the rotation of the at least one rotary joint MJ, or the at least another rotaryjoint MJ, is substantially infinite. The transmitter and receiver printed circuit boards 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple are aligned with predetermined alignment tolerances so as to provide transmission rates of the non-contact wireless data communication interface WPDC in the gigabytes per second (Gbps) range throughout the substantially infinite rotation.

[0172] The method may include one or more of the following, individually or in any suitable combination thereof, and / or in any suitable combination with the other features described herein: the transmission rates of the non-contact wireless data communication interface WPDC have a range of up to about 3.125 Gbps; the module housing 2010 has a static housing part 2000 and a dynamic housing part 205 joined to each other, one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple is housed in the static housing part 2000, and another of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple is housed in the dynamic housing part 205; the static housing part 2000 is fixedly coupled to at least one of the housing 200H and the link housing 370-375, and the dynamic housing part 205 has a rotor 2100 that rotates about the corresponding axis of rotation SAX, of the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ, relative to the static housing part 2000 throughout rotation of the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ; the other of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple is mounted to the rotor 2100 in the dynamic housing part 205 so as to rotate as a unit with the rotor 2100 about the corresponding axis of rotation SAX, of the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ, relative to the one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 static in the static housing part 2000 throughout rotation of the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ; the other of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple is held by the rotor 2100 aligned to the one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple with the predetermined alignment tolerances throughout rotation of the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ substantially decoupled from alignment and runout tolerances of the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ exceeding thepredetermined alignment tolerances; the rotor 2100 is positioned relative to the static housing part 2000 by a deep groove radial ball bearing 215; the deep groove radial ball bearing 215 defines the predetermined alignment tolerances of the transmitter and receiver printed circuit boards 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple; the module housing 2010 has a static housing part 2000 and a dynamic housing part 205 joined to each other, one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple is housed in the static housing part 2000, and another of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple is mounted to the rotor 2100 of the dynamic housing part 205, and a hermetically sealed isolation wall HSIW separates the rotor 2100 from the static housing part 2000, where the hermetically sealed isolation wall HSIW is configured to allow data transmission between the transmitter and receiver printed circuit boards 250, 251 of the printed circuit board couple; and a flexible shaft coupling 260 that intervenes between and mates the rotor 2100 of the dynamic housing part 205 to an output shaft 290 of the at least one rotary joint MJ or the at least another rotary joint MJ.

[0173] The following are provided in accordance with the present disclosure and may be employed individually, in any combination with each other, and / or in any combination with the features described above:

[0174] In accordance with the present disclosure, a substrate transport apparatus comprises: abase; an articulated arm connected to the base with a terminal joint about which the articulated arm rotates and extends, and having one or more movable arm links, and an end effector connected at a distal joint to the one or more movable arm links, the end effector having a substrate holding station thereon, wherein at least one movable arm link, of the one or more movable arm links, has a housing containing at least one rotary joint with an axis of rotation about which the at least one movable arm link rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm, and the housing contains at least another rotary joint to which at least one of another of the movable arm links and the end effector are rotatably joined to the at least one movable arm link; and a power and data communication system is distributed through the articulated arm, wherein thepower and data communication system has a wireless power and data communication interface routed through at least one rotary joint of the housing of the at least one movable arm link, the wireless power and data communication interface, through the at least one rotary joint, being configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface.

[0175] The substrate transport apparatus includes one or more of the following, individually or in any suitable combination thereof):

[0176] a wireless power and data communication interface through at least the other rotary joint to the at least one of the at least one other arm link and the end effector is configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface, where the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint comprises at least a wrist joint of the articulated arm that joins the end effector to the one more movable arm links;

[0177] the noncontact wireless communication interface is at least one of a close proximity wireless communication and short range wireless communication;

[0178] the noncontact wireless communication interface is a configured for close proximity wireless power and data communication including optical communication, radio frequency communication, Wi-Fi communication, near field communication, ultra-wide band communication, millimeter wave communication, inductive communication, Bluetooth®, infrared, and Zigbee®;

[0179] the noncontact wireless communication interface is configured for communication distance of about 20 mm or less;

[0180] the wireless noncontact power and data communication interface through the other rotatory joint forms a noncontact communication power and data link between the at least one of the other of the arm links and the end effector and the at least one movable arm link, which noncontactcommunication link crosses a space gap formed by the rotary joint between the movable arm link and the at least one of the other of the arm links and end effector at the rotary joint; and

[0181] the housing is configured so as to form a sealed plenum inside housing respective parts of a transmitter and a receiver of the wireless communication power and data communication interface in a sealed atmosphere sealed from a depressurized environment outside the housing.

[0182] In accordance with the present disclosure, a transfer apparatus comprises: a frame forming a sealed chamber disposed to hold a processing vacuum therein; and an articulated arm connected to the frame, within the sealed chamber, with a terminal joint about which the articulated arm rotates and extends, and having at least one movable arm link and an end effector, connected to the at least one movable arm link, with a substrate holding station located thereon; wherein the at least one movable arm link has an outer housing containing at least one rotary joint with an axis of rotation about which the at least one movable arm link rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm, and the outer housing is an assembly formed of housing parts that are sealed to hold a sealed atmosphere within the outer housing inside the processing vacuum of the sealed chamber; and a power and data communication system is distributed through the articulated arm, wherein the power and data communication system has a wireless power and data communication interface routed through the at least one rotary joint of the outer housing of the at least one movable arm link, the wireless power and data communication interface, through at least one rotary joint, being configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface; wherein the sealed housing parts are coupled to each other with at least one mechanical joint forming a sealed interface through which the sealed atmosphere communicates between each sealed housing part to each other sealed housing part of the outer housing.

[0183] The transfer apparatus includes one or more of the following, individually or in any suitable combination thereof:

[0184] the noncontact wireless communication interface is at least one of a close proximity wireless communication and short range wireless communication;

[0185] the noncontact wireless communication interface is a configured for close proximity wireless power and data communication including optical communication, radio frequency communication, Wi-Fi communication, near field communication, ultra-wide band communication, millimeter wave communication, inductive communication, Bluetooth®, infrared, and Zigbee®;

[0186] the noncontact wireless communication interface is configured for communication distance of about 20 mm or less;

[0187] the wireless noncontact power and data communication interface forms a noncontact communication power and data link between the at least one movable arm link and the end effector, which noncontact communication link crosses a space gap formed by the rotary joint between the at least one movable arm link and the end effector at the rotary joint; and

[0188] the outer housing is configured so as to form a sealed plenum inside housing respective parts of a transmitter and a receiver of the wireless communication power and data communication interface in a sealed atmosphere sealed from a depressurized environment outside the outer housing.

[0189] In accordance with the present disclosure, a substrate transport apparatus comprises: a base; an articulated arm connected to the base with a terminal joint about which the articulated arm rotates and extends, and having one or more movable arm links, and an end effector connected at a distal joint to the one or more movable arm links, the end effector having a substrate holding station thereon; wherein at least one movable arm link, of the one or more movable arm links, has a housing containing at least one rotary joint with an axis of rotation about which the at least one movable arm link rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm, and the housing contains at least another rotary joint to which at least one of another of the movablearm links and the end effector are rotatably joined to the at least one movable arm link, and a data communication and bus power network resident on board the articulated arm, the network is distributed throughout the articulated arm from the terminal joint through the distal joint, the network being housed in and crosses the at least one rotary joint of the housing; wherein the network incorporates local controls, and sensors disposed respectively on the at least one movable link and each of at least the other of the movable arm links and the end effector, coupled via a network interface so as to effect local, on board, on the fly controls of at least one of active thermal control of the end effector, kinematic motion of the substrate holding station via articulation of the one or more movable arm links of the articulated arm, substrate or process metrology, imaging of at least part of the articulated arm with an on board imaging sensor, and on board health monitoring of the articulated arm.

[0190] In the substrate transport apparatus, the bus power is direct current bus power.

[0191] In accordance with the present disclosure, a method comprises: providing a substrate transport apparatus including: a base, an articulated arm connected to the base with a terminal joint about which the articulated arm rotates and extends, and having one or more movable arm links, and an end effector connected at a distal joint to the one or more movable arm links, the end effector having a substrate holding station thereon, and wherein at least one movable arm link, of the one or more movable arm links, has a housing containing at least one rotary joint with an axis of rotation about which the at least one movable arm link rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm, and the housing contains at least another rotary joint to which at least one of another of the movable arm links and the end effector are rotatably joined to the at least one movable arm link; and distributing power and data, with a power and data communication system distributed through the articulated arm, through the articulated arm wherein the power and data communication system has a wireless power and data communication interface routed through the at least one rotary joint of the housing of the at least one movable arm link, the wireless power and data communication interface, through the at least one rotary joint, being configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface.

[0192] The method includes one or more of the following, individually or in any suitable combination thereof

[0193] a wireless power and data communication interface through at least the other rotary joint to the at least one of the at least one other arm link and the end effector is configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface, where the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint comprises at least a wrist joint of the articulated arm that joins the end effector to the one more movable arm links;

[0194] the noncontact wireless communication interface is at least one of a close proximity wireless communication and short range wireless communication;

[0195] the noncontact wireless communication interface is a configured for close proximity wireless power and data communication including optical communication, radio frequency communication, Wi-Fi communication, near field communication, ultra-wide band communication, millimeter wave communication, inductive communication, Bluetooth®, infrared, and Zigbee®;

[0196] the noncontact wireless communication interface is configured for communication distance of about 20 mm or less;

[0197] the wireless noncontact power and data communication interface through the other rotatory joint forms a noncontact communication power and data link between the at least one of the other of the arm links and the end effector and the at least one movable arm link, which noncontact communication link crosses a space gap formed by the rotary joint between the movable arm link and the at least one of the other of the arm links and end effector at the rotary joint; and

[0198] the housing is configured so as to form a sealed plenum inside housing respective parts of a transmitter and a receiver of the wireless communication power and data communication interface in a sealed atmosphere sealed from a depressurized environment outside the housing.

[0199] In accordance with the present disclosure, a method comprises: providing a transfer apparatus including: a frame forming a sealed chamber disposed to hold a processing vacuum therein, and an articulated arm connected to the frame, within the sealed chamber, with a terminal joint about which the articulated arm rotates and extends, and having at least one movable arm link and an end effector, connected to the at least one movable arm link, with a substrate holding station located thereon, wherein the at least one movable arm link has an outer housing containing at least one rotary joint with an axis of rotation about which the at least one movable arm link rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm, and the outer housing is an assembly formed of housing parts that are sealed to hold a sealed atmosphere within the outer housing inside the processing vacuum of the sealed chamber; and distributing power and data, with a power and data communication system distributed through the articulated arm, through the articulated arm wherein the power and data communication system has a wireless power and data communication interface routed through the at least one rotary joint of the outer housing of the at least one movable arm link, the wireless power and data communication interface, through the at least one rotary joint, being configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface; wherein the sealed housing parts are coupled to each other with at least one mechanical joint forming a sealed interface through which the sealed atmosphere communicates between each sealed housing part to each other sealed housing part of the outer housing.

[0200] The method includes one or more of the following, individually or in any suitable combination:

[0201] the noncontact wireless communication interface is at least one of a close proximity wireless communication and short range wireless communication;

[0202] the noncontact wireless communication interface is a configured for close proximity wireless power and data communication including optical communication, radio frequency communication, Wi-Fi communication, near field communication, ultra-wide bandcommunication, millimeter wave communication, inductive communication, Bluetooth®, infrared, and Zigbee®;

[0203] the noncontact wireless communication interface is configured for communication distance of about 20 mm or less;

[0204] the wireless noncontact power and data communication interface forms a noncontact communication power and data link between the at least one movable arm link and the end effector, which noncontact communication link crosses a space gap formed by the rotary joint between the at least one movable arm link and the end effector at the rotary joint; and

[0205] the outer housing is configured so as to form a sealed plenum inside housing respective parts of a transmitter and a receiver of the wireless communication power and data communication interface in a sealed atmosphere sealed from a depressurized environment outside the outer housing.

[0206] In accordance with the present disclosure, a method comprises: providing a substrate transport apparatus including: a base, and an articulated arm connected to the base with a terminal joint about which the articulated arm rotates and extends, and having one or more movable arm links, and an end effector connected at a distal joint to the one or more movable arm links, the end effector having a substrate holding station thereon, wherein at least one movable arm link, of the one or more movable arm links, has a housing containing at least one rotary joint with an axis of rotation about which the at least one movable arm link rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm, and the housing contains at least another rotary joint to which at least one of another of the movable arm links and the end effector are rotatably joined to the at least one movable arm link; and distributing a data communication and bus power network, resident on board the articulated arm, throughout the articulated arm from the terminal joint through the distal joint, the network being housed in and crosses the at least one rotary joint of the housing; wherein the network incorporates local controls, and sensors disposed respectively on theat least one movable link and each of at least the other of the movable arm links and the end effector, coupled via a network interface so as to effect local, on board, on the fly controls of at least one of active thermal control of the end effector, kinematic motion of the substrate holding station via articulation of the one or more movable arm links of the articulated arm, substrate or process metrology, imaging of at least part of the articulated arm with an on board imaging sensor, and on board health monitoring of the articulated arm.

[0207] In the method, the bus power is direct current bus power.

[0208] In accordance with the present disclosure, a substrate transport apparatus comprises: a base; an articulated arm connected to the base with a terminal joint about which the articulated arm extends, and having one or more movable arm links, and an end effector connected at a distal joint to the one or more movable arm links, the terminal joint and the distal joint being rotary j oints, the end effector having a substrate holding location thereon; wherein at least one movable link, of the one or more movable arm links, is coupled to a housing containing at least one rotary joint with an axis of rotation about which the at least movable link rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm, and the at least one movable link has a link housing that contains at least another rotary joint, with a corresponding axis of rotation, to which at least one of another of the arm links and the end effector are rotatably joined to the at least one movable link; and a power and data communication system is distributed through the articulated arm, the power and data communication system having a non-contact wireless data communication module, at the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint, the non-contact wireless data communication module has a module housing that houses a transmitter and receiver printed circuit board of a printed circuit board couple forming a non-contact wireless communication interface at and across the at least one rotary joint, or the at least another rotary joint, that decouples rotation of the at least one rotary joint, or the at least another rotary joint, from constraint of the power and data communication system so that the rotation of the at least one rotary joint, or the at least another rotary joint, is substantially infinite; wherein the transmitter and receiver printed circuit boards of the printed circuit board couple are aligned with predetermined alignment tolerances so as toprovide transmission rates of the non-contact wireless data communication interface in the gigabytes per second (Gbps) range throughout the substantially infinite rotation.

[0209] The substrate transport apparatus includes one or more of the following, individually or in any suitable combination thereof):

[0210] the transmission rates of the non-contact wireless data communication interface have a range of up to about 3.125 Gbps;

[0211] the module housing has a static housing part and a dynamic housing part joined to each other, one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board of the printed circuit board couple is housed in the static housing part, and another of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board of the printed circuit board couple is housed in the dynamic housing part;

[0212] the static housing part is fixedly coupled to at least one of the housing and the link housing, and the dynamic housing part has a rotor that rotates about the corresponding axis of rotation, of the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint, relative to the static housing part throughout rotation of the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint;

[0213] the other of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board of the printed circuit board couple is mounted to a rotor in the dynamic housing part so as to rotate as a unit with the rotor about the corresponding axis of rotation, of the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint, relative to the one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board static in the static housing part throughout rotation of the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint;

[0214] the other of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board of the printed circuit board couple is held by the rotor aligned to the one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board of the printed circuit board couple with the predetermined alignment tolerances throughout rotation of the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint substantially decoupled fromalignment and runout tolerances of the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint exceeding the predetermined alignment tolerances;

[0215] the rotor is positioned relative to the static housing part by a deep groove radial ball bearing;

[0216] the deep groove radial ball bearing defines the predetermined alignment tolerances of the transmitter and receiver printed circuit boards of the printed circuit board couple;

[0217] the module housing has a static housing part and a dynamic housing part joined to each other, one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board of the printed circuit board couple is housed in the static housing part, and another of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board of the printed circuit board couple is mounted to a rotor of the dynamic housing part; and a hermetically sealed isolation wall separates the rotor from the static housing part, where the hermetically sealed isolation wall is configured to allow data transmission between the transmitter and receiver printed circuit boards of the printed circuit board couple and

[0218] a flexible shaft coupling that intervenes between and mates the rotor of the dynamic housing part to an output shaft of the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint.

[0219] In accordance with the present disclosure, a method comprises: providing a substrate transport apparatus comprising: a base; an articulated arm connected to the base with a terminal joint about which the articulated arm extends, and having one or more movable arm links, and an end effector connected at a distal joint to the one or more movable arm links, the terminal joint and the distal j oint being rotary j oints, the end effector having a substrate holding location thereon; wherein at least one movable link, of the one or more movable arm links, is coupled to a housing containing at least one rotary joint with an axis of rotation about which the at least movable link rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm, and the at least one movable link has a link housing that contains at least another rotary joint, with a corresponding axis of rotation, to which at least one of another of the arm links and the end effector are rotatably joined to the at least one movable link; and a power and data communication system; anddistributing the power and data communication system through the articulated arm, where the power and data communication system has a non-contact wireless data communication module, at the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint, the non-contact wireless data communication module has a module housing that houses a transmitter and receiver printed circuit board of a printed circuit board couple forming a non-contact wireless communication interface at and across the at least one rotary joint, or the at least another rotary joint, that decouples rotation of the at least one rotary joint, or the at least another rotary joint, from constraint of the power and data communication system so that the rotation of the at least one rotary joint, or the at least another rotary joint, is substantially infinite; wherein the transmitter and receiver printed circuit boards of the printed circuit board couple are aligned with predetermined alignment tolerances so as to provide transmission rates of the non-contact wireless data communication interface in the gigabytes per second (Gbps) range throughout the substantially infinite rotation.

[0220] The method includes one or more of the following, individually or in any suitable combination thereof:

[0221] the transmission rates of the non-contact wireless data communication interface have a range of up to about 3.125 Gbps;

[0222] the module housing has a static housing part and a dynamic housing part joined to each other, one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board of the printed circuit board couple is housed in the static housing part, and another of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board of the printed circuit board couple is housed in the dynamic housing part;

[0223] the static housing part is fixedly coupled to at least one of the housing and the link housing, and the dynamic housing part has a rotor that rotates about the corresponding axis of rotation, of the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint, relative to the static housing part throughout rotation of the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint;

[0224] the other of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board of the printed circuit board couple is mounted to a rotor in the dynamic housing part so as to rotate as a unit with the rotor about the corresponding axis of rotation, of the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint, relative to the one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board static in the static housing part throughout rotation of the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint;

[0225] the other of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board of the printed circuit board couple is held by the rotor aligned to the one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board of the printed circuit board couple with the predetermined alignment tolerances throughout rotation of the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint substantially decoupled from alignment and runout tolerances of the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint exceeding the predetermined alignment tolerances;

[0226] the rotor is positioned relative to the static housing part by a deep groove radial ball bearing;

[0227] the deep groove radial ball bearing defines the predetermined alignment tolerances of the transmitter and receiver printed circuit boards of the printed circuit board couple;

[0228] the module housing has a static housing part and a dynamic housing part joined to each other, one of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board of the printed circuit board couple is housed in the static housing part, and another of the transmitter or receiver printed circuit board of the printed circuit board couple is mounted to a rotor of the dynamic housing part; and a hermetically sealed isolation wall separates the rotor from the static housing part, where the hermetically sealed isolation wall is configured to allow data transmission between the transmitter and receiver printed circuit boards of the printed circuit board couple and

[0229] a flexible shaft coupling intervenes between and mates the rotor of the dynamic housing part to an output shaft of the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint.

[0230] It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the present disclosure. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the present disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances that fall within the scope of any claims appended hereto. Further, the mere fact that different features are recited in mutually different dependent or independent claims does not indicate that a combination of these features cannot be advantageously used, such a combination remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0231] What is claimed is:

Claims

CLAIMS1. A substrate transport apparatus comprising: a base; an articulated arm connected to the base with a terminal joint about which the articulated arm rotates and extends, and having one or more movable arm links, and an end effector connected at a distal joint to the one or more movable arm links, the end effector having a substrate holding station thereon, wherein at least one movable arm link, of the one or more movable arm links, has a housing containing at least one rotary joint with an axis of rotation about which the at least one movable arm link rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm, and the housing contains at least another rotary joint to which at least one of another of the movable arm links and the end effector are rotatably joined to the at least one movable arm link; and a power and data communication system is distributed through the articulated arm, wherein the power and data communication system has a wireless power and data communication interface routed through the at least one rotary joint of the housing of the at least one movable arm link, the wireless power and data communication interface, through the at least one rotary joint, being configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface.

2. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 1, wherein a wireless power and data communication interface through the at least another rotary joint to the at least one of the at least one other arm link and the end effector is configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface, where the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint comprises at least a wrist joint of the articulated arm that joins the end effector to the one more movable arm links.

3. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 1, wherein the noncontact wireless communication interface is at least one of a close proximity wireless communication and short range wireless communication.

4. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 1, wherein the noncontact wireless communication interface is a configured for close proximity wireless power and data communication including optical communication, radio frequency communication, Wi-Fi communication, near field communication, ultra-wide band communication, millimeter wave communication, inductive communication, Bluetooth®, infrared, and Zigbee®.

5. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 1, wherein the noncontact wireless communication interface is configured for communication distance of about 20 mm or less.

6. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless noncontact power and data communication interface through the other rotatory j oint forms a noncontact communication power and data link between the at least one of the other of the arm links and the end effector and the at least one movable arm link, which noncontact communication link crosses a space gap formed by the rotary joint between the movable arm link and the at least one of the other of the arm links and end effector at the rotary joint.

7. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured so as to form a sealed plenum inside housing respective parts of a transmitter and a receiver of the wireless communication power and data communication interface in a sealed atmosphere sealed from a depressurized environment outside the housing.

8. A transfer apparatus comprising: a frame forming a sealed chamber disposed to hold a processing vacuum therein; and an articulated arm connected to the frame, within the sealed chamber, with a terminal joint about which the articulated arm rotates and extends, and having at least one movable arm link and anend effector, connected to the at least one movable arm link, with a substrate holding station located thereon; wherein the at least one movable arm link has an outer housing containing at least one rotary joint with an axis of rotation about which the at least one movable arm link rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm, and the outer housing is an assembly formed of housing parts that are sealed to hold a sealed atmosphere within the outer housing inside the processing vacuum of the sealed chamber; and a power and data communication system is distributed through the articulated arm, wherein the power and data communication system has a wireless power and data communication interface routed through the at least one rotary joint of the outer housing of the at least one movable arm link, the wireless power and data communication interface, through the at least one rotary joint, being configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface; wherein the sealed housing parts are coupled to each other with at least one mechanical joint forming a sealed interface through which the sealed atmosphere communicates between each sealed housing part to each other sealed housing part of the outer housing.

9. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 8, wherein the noncontact wireless communication interface is at least one of a close proximity wireless communication and short range wireless communication10. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 8, wherein the noncontact wireless communication interface is a configured for close proximity wireless power and data communication including optical communication, radio frequency communication, Wi-Fi communication, near field communication, ultra-wide band communication, millimeter wave communication, inductive communication, Bluetooth®, infrared, and Zigbee®.

11. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 8, wherein the noncontact wireless communication interface is configured for communication distance of about 20 mm or less.

12. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 8, wherein the wireless noncontact power and data communication interface forms a noncontact communication power and data link between the at least one movable arm link and the end effector, which noncontact communication link crosses a space gap formed by the rotary joint between the at least one movable arm link and the end effector at the rotary joint.

13. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 8, wherein the outer housing is configured so as to form a sealed plenum inside housing respective parts of a transmitter and a receiver of the wireless communication power and data communication interface in a sealed atmosphere sealed from a depressurized environment outside the outer housing.

14. A method comprising: providing a substrate transport apparatus including: a base, an articulated arm connected to the base with a terminal joint about which the articulated arm rotates and extends, and having one or more movable arm links, and an end effector connected at a distal joint to the one or more movable arm links, the end effector having a substrate holding station thereon, and wherein at least one movable arm link, of the one or more movable arm links, has a housing containing at least one rotary joint with an axis of rotation about which the at least one movable arm link rotates in articulation effecting extension and retraction of the articulated arm, and the housing contains at least another rotary joint to which at least one of another of the movable arm links and the end effector are rotatably joined to the at least one movable arm link; anddistributing power and data, with a power and data communication system distributed through the articulated arm, through the articulated arm wherein the power and data communication system has a wireless power and data communication interface routed through the at least one rotary joint of the housing of the at least one movable arm link, the wireless power and data communication interface, through the at least one rotary joint, being configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a wireless power and data communication interface through the at least another rotary joint to the at least one of the at least one other arm link and the end effector is configured as a noncontact wireless communication interface, where the at least one rotary joint or the at least another rotary joint comprises at least a wrist joint of the articulated arm that joins the end effector to the one more movable arm links.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the noncontact wireless communication interface is at least one of a close proximity wireless communication and short range wireless communication.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the noncontact wireless communication interface is a configured for close proximity wireless power and data communication including optical communication, radio frequency communication, Wi-Fi communication, near field communication, ultra-wide band communication, millimeter wave communication, inductive communication, Bluetooth®, infrared, and Zigbee®.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the noncontact wireless communication interface is configured for communication distance of about 20 mm or less.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless noncontact power and data communication interface through the other rotatory joint forms a noncontact communication power and data link between the at least one of the other of the arm links and the end effector and the at least one movable arm link, which noncontact communication link crosses a space gap formed by the rotaryjoint between the movable arm link and the at least one of the other of the arm links and end effector at the rotary joint.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the housing is configured so as to form a sealed plenum inside housing respective parts of a transmitter and a receiver of the wireless communication power and data communication interface in a sealed atmosphere sealed from a depressurized environment outside the housing.

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