Robot Drive With Passive Rotor

Abstract

A substrate transport apparatus including a drive section and a first movable arm assembly. The drive section includes a first motor. The first motor includes a stator and a passive rotor. The first movable arm assembly is connected to the first motor. The substrate transport apparatus is configured for the first movable arm assembly to be positionable in a vacuum chamber with the passive rotor being in communication with an environment inside the vacuum chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A substrate transport apparatus comprising:
 a drive section comprising a first motor, where the first motor comprises a stator and a passive rotor; and   a first movable arm assembly connected to the first motor,   where the substrate transport apparatus is configured for the first movable arm assembly to be positionable in a vacuum chamber with the passive rotor being in communication with an environment inside the vacuum chamber.   
     
     
         2 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 1  where the first motor is a radial field motor arrangement. 
     
     
         3 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 1  where the stator comprises a coil and a permanent magnet. 
     
     
         4 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 1  where the passive rotor comprises no coil and no permanent magnet. 
     
     
         5 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 1  where the passive rotor comprises a stainless steel one piece member. 
     
     
         6 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 1  where the first motor is a linear motor arrangement. 
     
     
         7 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 1  where the passive rotor comprises a tooth surface facing the stator. 
     
     
         8 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 1  further comprising a gas barrier located between the stator and the passive rotor to separate the environment at the passive rotor from an environment at the stator. 
     
     
         9 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 8  where the gas barrier comprises at least one separation wall. 
     
     
         10 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 9  where the separation wall comprises stainless steel, or aluminum, or other material that allows magnetic field interaction between the passive rotor and the stator. 
     
     
         11 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 8  where the gas barrier comprises a housing surrounding substantially entirely around the stator. 
     
     
         12 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 11  where the housing comprises an encapsulation material surrounding the stator. 
     
     
         13 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 11  where the encapsulation material comprises an overmolded polymer material which has been molded onto the stator. 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 providing a substrate transport apparatus comprising a drive section and a first movable arm assembly connected to the drive section, where the drive section comprises a motor comprising a stator and a passive rotor; and   connecting the substrate transport apparatus to a vacuum chamber, where the first movable arm assembly is positioned in the vacuum chamber with the passive rotor being in communication with an environment inside the vacuum chamber.   
     
     
         15 . A method as in  claim 14  where providing the substrate transport apparatus comprises the stator including a coil and a permanent magnet, and the passive rotor having no coil and no permanent magnet. 
     
     
         16 . A method as in  claim 14  further comprising locating a gas barrier between the stator and the passive rotor to separate the environment at the passive rotor from an environment at the stator. 
     
     
         17 . A method as in  claim 14  where the gas barrier comprises at least one separation wall being located between the stator and the passive rotor. 
     
     
         18 . A method as in  claim 14  where the gas barrier comprises encapsulating the stator with an encapsulation material. 
     
     
         19 . A method as in  claim 14  where the gas barrier comprises enclosing the stator inside an enclosure, where a wall of the enclosure is located in a gap between the stator and the passive rotor. 
     
     
         20 . A substrate transport apparatus comprising:
 a drive section comprising a first motor, where the first motor comprises a stator and a passive rotor;   a first movable arm assembly connected to the first motor; and   a gas barrier located in a gap between the stator and the passive rotor to separate an environment at the passive rotor from an environment at the stator.   
     
     
         21 . A substrate transport apparatus where the gas barrier comprises at least one separation wall. 
     
     
         22 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 21  where the separation wall comprises stainless steel, or aluminum, or other material that allows magnetic field interaction between the passive rotor and the stator. 
     
     
         23 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 20  where the gas barrier comprises a housing surrounding substantially entirely around the stator. 
     
     
         24 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 23  where the housing comprises an encapsulation material surrounding the stator. 
     
     
         25 . A substrate transport apparatus as in  claim 23  where the encapsulation material comprises an overmolded polymer material which has been molded onto the stator.