Appeal 2006-3349
Application 09/908,360
Appellants’ claimed invention is directed to an apparatus for
transferring objects, and more particularly, to an apparatus including
independent robot assemblies for simultaneously and independently
manipulating multiple objects, such as semiconductor wafers (Specification
[0002]). Independent claims 80 and 86 are representative of the claimed
invention and read as follows:
80. In a system for processing semiconductor
wafers, with a plurality of radially arranged
processing chambers, an apparatus, comprising:
a two robot drive hub with four coaxial
shafts along a vertically oriented longitudinal axis;
a first robot mounted perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of said drive hub, coupled to a
first and to a second coaxial shaft, and with a first
carrier blade for carrying semiconductors;
a second robot mounted perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of said drive hub, coupled to a
third and to a fourth coaxial shaft, and with a
second carrier blade for carrying semiconductors;
wherein said first robot moves said first
carrier blade rotationally and radially in a first
horizontal plane for carrying semiconductor wafers
to and from the plurality of processing chambers;
and
wherein said second robot moves said
second carrier blade in a second plane parallel to
said first carrier blade, and independent of said
first carrier blade movement, for carrying
semiconductor wafers to and from the plurality of
processing chambers.
86. An apparatus for transferring substrates,
comprising:
2
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