The invention further relates to vacuum robot drive technologies for handling wafers or flat panels and relates more particularly to improvements in such technologies whereby electrical power can be brought to the robot arm for purposes of, wafer sensing, wafer gripping and or other sensory applications while nevertheless allowing robot arm angular movement to achieve unlimited rotation through 360 degrees.

Current vacuum robot drive technology for handling wafers or flat panels does not allow electrical power to be brought to the robot arm while simultaneously allowing for unlimited rotation of the drive joint. Providing continuous theta axis rotation to the rotating drive arms in a robot as set forth above to provide unlimited rotational drive, except for example, as limited by the geometry of the robot arms themselves, has been a long felt need. It has always been conceived that if electrical power could be brought from the robot drive to the robot arm, sensing, clamping or measurement devices could be added to the arm linkage.

However, one concern of the electrical feed through was that it would limit the rotation of the arm. If a limit on shaft rotation was placed in such a robotic device, the advantage of the added devices, e. g. sensing, clamping and measuring, would decrease the present capabilities of the device and make them less appealing in the market place.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an unlimited rotation robot drive which allows electrical power to be brought from outside the atmosphere side of the drive unit and into the arms which reside in a vacuum environment.

It is further object of the invention to provide an unlimited angular movement robot drive capable of unlimited angular rotation for the purpose of providing electrostatic clamping, wafer sensing, arm positioning measurement, arm acceleration measurement and wafer position measurement.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a system which enables unlimited angular rotations of the coaxial drive vacuum robot which is capable of being modified into existing coaxial drive structures.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following disclosure independent claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention resides in a coaxial for use in wafer handling and relates more specifically to an improvement therefor whereby the drive is capable of angular

rotations fully in a 360 degree circle without interference from electrical connections.

More specifically, the invention resides in a coaxial drive having one part exposed to atmosphere and another part exposed to vacuum. The drive comprises a base member secured to a housing extending vertically therefrom along a central axis, and a drive member having a generally hollow internal confine is disposed over the base member for rotation in either rotational direction with a gap extending therebetween. The drive member and the base include a circumferentially disposed contact means concentrically located about the central axis and the base and the drive members having a contact leads which are located coincidentally with the contact means and in contact therewith along 360° relative rotation between the base member and the drive member. A seal is carried by the drive member and is located thereon between the atmosphere and the vacuum environments and prevents atmosphere from entering the vacuum environment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing aspects and other features of the invention are explained in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a schematic top plan view of a substrate processing apparatus having a substrate transport incorporating features of the present invention ; Fig. la is a perspective view of the same substrate transport drive assembly used in the apparatus used in Fig. 1 ; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rotational drive assembly shown in Fig. la.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view shown through the drive assembly.

Fig. 4 is a schematic isolated view of the inner coaxial shaft of the feed through part of the drive assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown in a schematic top view of a substrate processing apparatus 10. The apparatus 10 includes a substrate transport 12, substrate processing modular 14 and load lock 16. A similar substrate processing apparatus is disclosed in U. S.

Patent 4, 715, 921 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. PTC Patent publication number WO 94/23911 discloses an artitulated arm transfer device which is also hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The apparatus 10 is adapted to process substrates, such as, semiconductor wafers or flat panel displays, as is known in the art.

The transport 12 includes a housing 18, a moveable arm assembly 20 and a drive assembly 22. The processing modules 14 and load locks 16 are attached to sides of the housing 18. The housing 18 forms a vacuum chamber in which the arm assembly 20 can transport substrates between and or among the load lock 16 and the processing modules 14. The arm assembly 20 can be similar to that described in WO 94/23911 with substrates supporting and effectors 24. In alternative embodiments, other types of WO 01/35499 PCT/US00/41460 housings and/or moveable arm assemblies could be used in conjuction with the present invention.

Referring now to Fig. la, the drive assembly 22 is shown.

5 The drive assembly 22 includes a frame 26, a rotational drive assembly 28, a vertical drive 30, and a controller 32. The drive assembly 22 is mounted to the underside U of the housing 18. The frame 26 includes a top flange 34 which is stationarily attached to the mounting flange 35 10 which is secured to the bottom U of the housing 18. A carriage driveably connected to the vertical drive 30 and disposed along ways on the frame 26 is controllably vertically moveably positionable between upper and lower positions as required by use. A top flange 34 as seen in 15 Fig. la has a circular opening 48 and a portion of the drive shaft assembly of the rotational drive assembly 28 projects through the hole 48 and through a hole through the bottom U of the housing 18 into the vacuum chamber formed by the housing. A bellows 50 is provided between 20 the underside U of the housing 18 and the drive assembly 28 to maintain the vacuum in the vacuum chamber, but allows the rotational drive assembly 28 to be moveable vertically relative to the housing 18.

25 Referring now to Fig. 2, and the rotational drive assembly 28. The rotational drive assembly 28 includes two rotational drive units 74 and 76. A positioning signaling. device 82 may be provided thereon for determining the real time position of the robot arms.

30 The two units 74 and 76 are substantially identically identical to one another and are attached to one another in reverse orientation in a stacked vertical arrangement.

Each unit 74, 76 has a housing 88 which are suitably sized and shaped to be located within the cage frame 26.

35 The units 74 and 76 are fixedly connected to each other to form a modular unit that is secured to the carriage of

the drive assembly 22 driven by the vertical drive 30.

Each unit 74, 76 is adapted to independently angularly rotate one of two drive shafts 92, 94 of the driveshaft assembly 90. The two driveshafts, outer and inner, 92 and 90, are coaxially mounted to the rotational drive assembly 28 coincidentally about the central axis CA, and the top ends of the shafts 92 and 94 are each connected to a member of the moveable arm assembly 20 such that rotation of the driveshafts in a given angular direction causes a robot arms to rotate together, while rotation of the shafts 92, 94 in opposite directions causes the extension/retraction of the arms in a frog leg type manner.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it should be seen that the drive assembly shown therein are coaxially disposed along the central access CA of Fig. 4 within the drive units of 74, 76 respectively. The radially outwardly disposed outer driveshaft 94 has an annular flange 100 disposed thereabout and has a set of permanent magnets attached to the flange 100 and placed in juxtaposition relative to circumferentially surrounding coils within the unit 74.

Likewise, the radially inwardly located inner driveshaft 92 connects through a plurality of axially extending bolts placed through openings 102, which threadily engage with a lower inner coaxial shaft 104 such that both the lower inner coaxial shaft 104 and the inner driveshaft 92 are nonrotatably connected with one another in axial confrontation about the central access CA.

Adjacent the bottom end of the lower inner coaxial shaft 104 is a second annularly extending flange 106 on which is disposed a set of permanent magnets which are in juxtaposition with coils mounted to the lower housing 76 for the purpose of controllably rotating the inner driveshaft 92 between angular orientations. The lower

inner axial shaft 104 and the outer coaxial driveshaft 94 are axially separated from one another by a separating flange 110 disposed therebetween, and as between the outer coaxial driveshaft 94 and the separating flange 110 with a bearing plate 112 interposed therebetween.

In accordance with the invention, it should be seen that a bottom plate 114 is provided at the bottom of the unit 76. The bottom plate 114 has an opening or hole 118 which is exposed to atmosphere and is disposed coincidentally with the central axis CA. The isolation cup 120 is fixedly mounted to the bottom plate 114 about the hole 118 with an 0-ring seal 122 therebetween. The isolation cup 120 is secured against movement to the bottom plate 114 through the intermediary of a plurality of connecting screws and locating pins 123, 123.

Rotatably disposed coaxially about the isolation cup 120 is the lower inner shaft 106. The units 74 and 76 support the component parts shown in Fig. 3 in such a way, using suitable bearing means, that a vertically extending annular gap 140 Sis provided between the isolation cup 120 and the lower inner axial shaft 104.

The isolation cup 120 has a hollow inner chamber 124 which extends coaxially about the central axis CA through between the upper and lower ends thereof. The isolation cup 120 narrows towards its top end to define a generally cylindrical tubular ; collar portion Within Within tubular collar portion 126 is located an electrical connector 125. The electrical connector 125 is of a tubular shape and has a base 113 in which is formed an opening 119 through which wires 111 are passed which ultimately electrically connect to the robot arm. The connector 125 is secured by bolts 117 to the cup 120 in the manner illustrated.

Also disposed within the hollow tubular confines of the tubular collar portion 126 is a central contact shaft 130 which is nonrotatably and sealingly connected to the isolation cup 120 through the intermediary of a spline connection or a transverse fastening pin and seals. At bottom end of the central contact shift 130 is disposed an electrical connector 128 which is configured to axially mate with the connector part 125. The electrical connector 128 is secured against axial movement, such as by an annular groove and snap ring, to the shaft 130.

Since the electrical connector 128 is secured within an atmospheric environment which is allowed to pass through and beyond the connector 128, the connection can be made using any suitable type of connection, such as by the snap-fit, or adhesive connection because the forces acting upon the connector will not be exaggerated, such as'found in the case where atmosphere an vacuum interface exists. Thus, the shaft 130 is axially and rotatably immovable relative to the isolation cup 120, and the frame of the assembly thereby preventing twisting of the electrical wires 111 which are fed upwardly through the hollow portion 132 of the shaft 130. In this way, the feed through connection 125/128 and its associated wires can be removeable without disassembly of the robotic drive mechanism. Thus, the wires 111 connect to the connector 128 by the mating of the connector 125 inserted therewithin.

As illustrated in Fig. 4 the interiorly disposed driveshaft 92 has a coaxially disposed stepped opening 136 formed therein. The top end of the interiorly disposed driveshaft 92 has a seal cap 133 which provides an end wall and locks the opening 136 from vacuum. The stepped opening 136 is defined by a first cylindrical portion 135 having a diameter Dl and a second cylindrical portion 137 having a diameter D2 which is less than that

of the first portion 135. The first cylindrical portion 135 is correspondingly sized and shaped to receive a ferrofludic seal 136 which is disposed circumferentially and axially secured against movement about the central contact shaft 130. The interior surface of the inner coaxial shaft 92 defining the second cylindrical portion 137 is correspondingly sized and shaped to receive for relative rotation therewith the upper end portion of the central contact shaft 130.

As previously mentioned, the outer surface of the isolation cup 120 and the inner surface of the lower inner shaft 104 are spaced apart by the gap 140 which exposes the lower end 141 of the seal 136 to the vacuum within the chamber of the handling apparatus. Thus, as illustrated by the arrow line in Fig. 4, vacuum is presented against the end 141 of the seal 136 while the upper inner end 143 of the seal 136 is exposed to atmosphere thereby providing the required differential in pressure necessary for effecting proper functioning of the ferrofluidic seal 136. It should be understood that the ferrofluidic seal 136 is one that is readily commercially available and sold for example by Ferrofluidics, Inc., of Naushua, N. H and is known in the industry.

Referring now in greater detail to Figs. 4 and 5, and to the means 151 for rotatatably maintaining an electrical connection between the top end of the shaft 130 and the inner coaxial shaft 92, it should be seen that this means is comprised of a plurality of slip-rings and include a plurality of vertically spaced circumferentially disposed grooves 142 a-h formed in the inner cylindrical surface of the second cylindrical portion 137 of the opening 136.

Each groove extends radially outwardly into the surface of the cylindrical opening portion 137 of the inner

coaxial shaft 92. Within each of these grooves is located an annular metallic contact 175 electrically connected and secured to the central contact shaft 130.

At the top end of the central contact shaft 130 and in the confronting surface of the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 137 of the interior drive shaft 92 is located a plurality of transversely extending openings 150a-150h (see Fig. 4) each located in alignment with an associated one of the contact grooves 142a-h. Within each of the transverse openings 150a-f is located a lead corresponding and connected to one of the contact brushes 175 which are fixed to the shaft 130. Each lead is further connected to a corresponding lead on the connector 128. In the case of the drive member 92, each of the contact brushes 175 corresponds to an electrical device in the robot arm. The grooves 142a-h in the surface 137 connect to the robot arm by lines within a conduit 171 (see Fig. 4) in the shaft 92 which communicate with a chamber 200 in the member 92. The brushes 175 of the central contact shaft 130 maintain sliding point contact with the associated one of the annular metallic contact grooves 142a-h while those of the other part may have a fixed connection therewith.

Electrical contact is thus maintained in a full 360 degrees circle by the sliding contact of the leads with the contact rings.

By the foregoing an'improved coaxial drive electric contact has been described by way of the preferred embodiment. However, numerous modifications and substitutions may be had without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is well within the purview of the invention to provide contact rings about the outer surface of the central shaft 130 such that pint contact is effected by the leads of either or both the inner coaxial shaft 982 and/or the central Accordingly the invention has been described by way of illustration rather than limitation.