A transfer apparatus including a frame, multiple arms connected to the frame, each arm having an end effector and an independent drive axis for extension and retraction of the respective arm with respect to other ones of the multiple arms, a linear rail defining a degree of freedom for the independent drive axis for extension and retraction of at least one arm, and a common drive axis shared by each arm and configured to pivot the multiple arms about a common pivot axis, wherein at least one of the multiple arms having another drive axis defining an independent degree of freedom with respect to other ones of the multiple arms.

An apparatus including a drive having motors and at least two coaxial drive shafts; an arm connected to the drive, where the arm is configured to support at least one substrate thereon; and a transmission connected between the drive and the arm, where the transmission includes an eccentric bearing and a linkage, where the linkage is connected between a first one of the coaxial drive shafts and the arm, where the eccentric bearing is connected to a second one of the coaxial drive shafts, where the arm comprises an aperture, where the eccentric bearing is located in the aperture, and where the eccentric bearing is configured to contact the arm in the aperture.

A robot for transferring a wafer is disclosed. A blade of the robot includes a first sensor on an upper surface of the blade and the second sensor on a back surface of the blade. The first sensor is operable to align the blade with a wafer. The second sensor is operable to align the blade with a holder that holds the wafer.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a process module including a substrate support unit, an inverting unit and a processing unit, and a transfer module, wherein the inverting unit inverts a substrate so that a second surface faces upward, and provides the inverted substrate to the substrate support unit, wherein the processing unit performs a first processing on the second surface of the substrate seated on the substrate support unit, wherein the inverting unit inverts the first processed substrate so that the first surface faces upward, wherein the transfer module takes the substrate with a first surface facing upward out of the process module, and introduces again the substrate with a first surface facing upward into the process module to seat it on the substrate support unit, wherein the processing unit performs a second processing on the first surface of the substrate seated on the substrate support unit.

A substrate transport arm including a first link; a second link rotatably connected to the first link; a third link rotatably connected to the second link at a wrist joint; and a mechanical transmission having a pulley. The third link includes an end effector configured to support a substrate thereon. The mechanical transmission is connected to the third link to control rotation of the third link on the second link. The mechanical transmission is configured to control rotation of the third link as a function of an angle between the first and second links such that, as the first and second links are rotated relative to each other, the wrist joint follows a wrist path which includes a curved portion, and where a center of the substrate supported on the end effector is moved along a substantially straight substrate path as the wrist joint follows the curved portion.

The inventive concept provides a substrate treating apparatus. The substrate treating apparatus includes a treating bath having an accommodation space for accommodating a treating liquid; a support member configured to support at least one substrate in a vertical posture at the accommodation space; and a posture changing robot configured to change a posture of a substrate immersed in the treating liquid from the vertical posture to a horizontal posture, and wherein the posture changing robot comprises: a body configured to hold the substrate thereon; and a liquid supply member configured to supply a wetting liquid to the substrate placed on the body.

A system includes a robot with a robot arm having multiple joints and an end effector to carry a substrate. A processing device is to build, with respect to a joint space for the multiple joints and the end effector, a graph of reachable positions and sub-paths between the reachable positions, wherein the reachable positions and the sub-paths satisfy Cartesian limits within the joint space. The processing device is to determine, by executing a graph optimization algorithm on the graph, multiple paths, each made up of a group of the sub-paths and having one of a shortest distance or a lowest cost between a start point and an end point of the end effector. The processing device is to select a path, of the multiple paths, through the graph that minimizes a move time of the end effector between the start point and the end point.

A substrate mapping device 4 maps a plurality of substrates 10 inside a container where the substrates 10 are accommodated so as to be arrayed in a given arrayed direction. The substrate mapping device 4 includes a sensor 16 configured to detect a state of the substrate 10, a manipulator 14 configured to move the sensor 16, and a control device 18 configured to control the manipulator 14 to move the sensor 16 along a mapping course. The control device 18 sets a first mapping position and a second mapping position different in the position in the arrayed direction of the substrates 10 from the first mapping position, and sets the mapping course based on the first mapping position and the second mapping position.

Systems and methods for processing workpieces, such as semiconductor workpieces are provided. One example embodiment is directed to a processing system for processing a plurality of workpieces. The processing system can include a loadlock chamber, a transfer chamber, and at least two processing chamber having two or more processing stations. The processing system further includes a storage chamber for storing replaceable parts. The transfer chamber includes a workpiece handling robot. The workpiece handling robot can be configured to transfer a plurality of replaceable parts from the processing stations to the storage chamber.

The treating arrangement (900) for an epitaxial reactor (1000) comprises: a reaction chamber (100) for treating substrates, a transfer chamber (200) adjacent to the reaction chamber (100), for transferring substrates placed over substrates support devices, a loading/unloading group (300) at least in part adjacent to the transfer chamber (200), arranged to contain a substrates support device with one or more substrates, a storage chamber (400) containing at least in part the loading/unloading group (300), having a first storage zone (410) for treated and/or untreated substrates and a second storage zone (420) for substrates support devices without any substrate, at least one external robot (500) for transferring treated substrates, untreated substrates and substrates support devices without any substrate between said storage chamber (400) and said loading/unloading group (300), at least one internal robot (600) for transferring substrates support devices with one or more substrates between said loading/unloading group (300) and said reaction chamber (100) via said transfer chamber (200); said loading/unloading group comprises a load-lock chamber (300A) and a preparation station (300B) associated with each other.