Multi-Turn Robot Joint Assembly for 360° Wafer Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drive assemblies for robot arm mechanisms in electronic device manufacturing systems are limited to less than full rotation (360 degrees), leading to substrate defects due to loose particulate matter transfer between chambers and restricted flexibility in substrate handling.
Innovation Solution
A multi-turn drive assembly with a forearm or wrist drive assembly that includes a transmission element with multiple band wraps around driving and driven members, allowing for a maximum rotation of at least 360 degrees, preventing wafer-over-wafer and arm-over-wafer positions and enhancing substrate transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional drive assemblies with single-band wraps are used, then the structure is simple, but the rotation is limited to less than 360 degrees
Solution Approach 1:
The drive assembly is segmented into multiple independent band wraps (first band and second band) around the pulley system. Each band can wrap independently around the driving pulley and driven pulley, allowing the system to achieve multi-turn rotation capability while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular segmentation of the transmission elements.
2Reliability
If rotation is limited to less than 360 degrees, then particle contamination is prevented, but substrate transfer flexibility is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The drive assembly enables dynamic multi-turn rotation (at least 360 degrees) of the forearm about the forearm axis, allowing the robot arm to adapt its configuration during substrate transfer operations. This dynamic capability provides flexibility in navigating around obstacles and avoiding wafer-over-wafer positions while maintaining reliability through controlled motion paths that prevent particulate contamination.
3Ease of operation
If full rotation of at least 360 degrees is enabled, then substrate transfer flexibility is improved, but the risk of particle contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-band wrap transmission system acts as an intermediary mechanism that enables full rotation capability while maintaining controlled motion. The first band and second band working in conjunction around the pulleys provide smooth, controlled transmission of rotational motion, allowing the forearm to rotate at least 360 degrees without causing uncontrolled movements that would increase particle contamination risk.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple band wraps are used, then full rotation capability is achieved, but the transmission element complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first band and second band are merged into a coordinated transmission system that works together around the driving pulley and driven pulley. This merging of multiple transmission elements into a unified multi-wrap configuration enables full rotation capability while managing complexity through integrated design of the band-pulley interaction system.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are multi-turn drive assemblies, systems and methods of use thereof. The multi-turn drive assemblies enable a robot link member to have a maximum rotation of at least 360 degrees about an axis. The multi-turn drive assemblies can be incorporated into a robot arm for enabling 360 degrees rotation of one or more link members about an axis. The robot arm may be located in a transfer chamber of an electronic device processing system. Also disclosed are methods of controlling the multi-turn drive assemblies and related robots.