Vacuum Substrate Transfer Robot Extraction Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate transfer robots in vacuum chambers face challenges with large size, complex maintenance, and particle generation due to the placement of driving motors and speed reducers within sealed arm platforms and link arms, leading to inefficiencies in installation, repair, and maintaining a vacuum environment.
Innovation Solution
A substrate transfer robot design featuring a transfer arm platform with sealed coupling holes and locking members, and link arms with integrated driving motors and speed reducers, ensuring all mechanical components are contained within sealed spaces to prevent particle generation and simplify maintenance, while allowing for compact installation and efficient operation within a vacuum chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the driving motor is installed inside the sealed arm platform and the speed reducer is installed in each link arm, then the substrate transfer robot can operate in vacuum conditions, but the arm platform must be large enough to accommodate the driving motor, increasing the overall size
Solution Approach 1:
The driving motor is extracted from the sealed arm platform and installed externally. Only the speed reducer remains inside the sealed link arm, connected to the motor via a shaft passing through a sealing structure. This extraction removes the bulky motor from the vacuum environment, significantly reducing the arm platform size while maintaining vacuum sealing capability through the shaft seal.
2Reliability
If the driving motor is installed inside the arm platform and the speed reducer is installed in each link arm, then the robot can function properly, but installation, repair and maintenance become difficult requiring disassembly of multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The driving motor is extracted from the sealed structure and installed externally on the arm platform. This allows the motor to be accessed, installed, and maintained without disassembling the sealed link arms or coupling structures. The speed reducer remains sealed inside the link arm for vacuum operation, while the external motor position enables easy maintenance of both components.
3Reliability
If conventional sealed structures are used for the arm platform and link arms, then vacuum conditions are maintained, but particles may be generated from the mechanical components inside the sealed spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The driving motor, which is a source of particles due to its mechanical components, is extracted from the sealed vacuum environment. Only the speed reducer, which can be better sealed, remains inside the link arm. The motor shaft connects to the speed reducer through a sealed interface, keeping the particle-generating motor external to the vacuum chamber while maintaining vacuum integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate transfer robot for transferring a substrate in a vacuum chamber, includes: a transfer arm platform having coupling holes, wherein a link connecting member with blades is engaged at a front area of the transfer arm platform and a support shaft of a lower support is inserted into the lower space of one of the coupling holes; and a first and a second transfer arm part each including an end effector for supporting the substrate, multiple transfer link arms and subordinate link arms, and a common link arm that are connected to each other or to the transfer arm platform, wherein, the transfer link arms include at least some of drive shafts, interlocked with transfer driving motors or speed reducers, and output shafts interlocked with the drive shafts, and wherein the end effectors are positioned at different heights from each other through using a bracket.