Robot Linear Drive Heat Transfer

Abstract

An apparatus including a movable arm; a robot drive connected to the movable arm; and a heat transfer system. The robot drive includes a first drive configured to extend and retract the movable arm and a second drive configured to move the movable arm and the first drive along a linear path. The heat transfer system includes a first heat transfer member on the base and a second heat transfer member, where the heat transfer system is configured to transfer heat from the first drive to the first heat transfer member and then from the first heat transfer member to the second heat transfer member. The first heat transfer member travels with the base, and the first heat transfer member moves relative to the second heat transfer member as the base moves relative to the slide.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus comprising:
 a drive;   a robot arm connected to the drive, where the robot arm comprises at least one end effector configured to support at least one substrate thereon, where the drive is configured to move the robot arm to thereby move the at least one end effector; and   a heat transfer assembly at the drive, where the heat transfer assembly comprises a first heat transfer section connected to a first rotatable link of the robot arm and a second heat transfer section, where the first heat transfer section is configured to rotate relative to the second heat transfer section, where the first heat transfer section is configured to transfer heat from the robot arm to the second heat transfer section, and where the first heat transfer section has portions interleaved with portions of the second heat transfer section and configured to move in gaps between the portions of the second heat transfer section.   
     
     
         22 . An apparatus as in  claim 21  where the heat transfer assembly comprises a radiation sink as the portion of the first heat transfer section, where the radiation sink is coupled to a thermoelectric cooler, and where the thermoelectric cooler is coupled to a body of the first rotatable link. 
     
     
         23 . An apparatus as in  claim 22  where the radiation sink comprises a series of first concentric tubes having high emissivity which are interleaved with a series of second concentric tubes forming the portions of the second heat transfer section. 
     
     
         24 . An apparatus as in  claim 21  where the drive comprises the second heat transfer section, and where the second heat transfer section comprises a thermoelectric cooler in vacuum or atmosphere, and a heat sink in atmosphere which is connected to the thermoelectric cooler. 
     
     
         25 . An apparatus as in  claim 21  where:
 the portions of the first heat transfer section comprises a first radiation sink, where the first heat transfer section further comprises a first thermoelectric cooler coupled to the first radiation sink, where the first thermoelectric cooler is coupled to a body of the first rotatable link, where the first radiation sink comprises a series of first concentric tubes having high emissivity, and 
 the drive comprises the second heat transfer section, where the portions of the second heat transfer section comprise a second radiation sink, where the second radiation sink comprises a series of second concentric tubes which are interleaved with the series of first concentric tubes, and where the second heat transfer section comprises a second thermoelectric cooler connected to a heat sink. 
 
     
     
         26 . An apparatus as in  claim 25  where the first thermoelectric cooler is located between the first radiation sink and the first rotatable link, and the second thermoelectric cooler is located between the second radiation sink and the heat sink. 
     
     
         27 . An apparatus as in  claim 26  where the first radiation sink is configured to rotate with the first rotatable link. 
     
     
         28 . An apparatus as in  claim 27  where the heat sink, the second thermoelectric cooler and the second radiation sink are configured to remain stationary relative to one another as the first radiation sink is rotated with the first rotatable link. 
     
     
         29 . An apparatus as in  claim 21  further comprising a vacuum chamber configured to form a first environment separated from atmosphere environment by the vacuum chamber, where the robot arm is located in the vacuum chamber, where the drive extends through an aperture in the vacuum chamber, and where the heat transfer assembly is located at least partially in the aperture with the first heat transfer section in the first environment and the second heat transfer section located in both the first environment and the atmosphere environment, where the heat transfer assembly at least partially seals the aperture to keep the first environment separated from the atmosphere environment. 
     
     
         30 . An apparatus as in  claim 29  where:
 the portions of the first heat transfer section comprises a first radiation sink, where the first heat transfer section further comprises a first thermoelectric cooler coupled to the first radiation sink, where the first thermoelectric cooler is coupled to a body of the first rotatable link, where the first radiation sink comprises a series of first concentric tubes having high emissivity, and 
 the drive comprises the second heat transfer section, where the portions of the second heat transfer section comprise a second radiation sink, where the second radiation sink comprises a series of second concentric tubes which are interleaved with the series of first concentric tubes, and where the second heat transfer section comprises a second thermoelectric cooler connected to a heat sink, and where the heat sink is configured to be in the atmosphere environment. 
 
     
     
         31 . An apparatus as in  claim 30  where the first thermoelectric cooler is located between the first radiation sink and the first rotatable link, and the second thermoelectric cooler is located between the second radiation sink and the heat sink. 
     
     
         32 . An apparatus as in  claim 31  where the first radiation sink is configured to rotate with the first rotatable link. 
     
     
         33 . An apparatus as in  claim 32  where the heat sink, the second thermoelectric cooler and the second radiation sink are configured to remain stationary relative to one another as the first radiation sink is rotated with the first rotatable link. 
     
     
         34 . A method comprising:
 connecting a robot arm to a drive, where the robot arm comprises at least one end effector configured to support at least one substrate thereon, where the drive is configured to move the robot arm to thereby move the at least one end effector; and   connecting a heat transfer assembly to the robot arm at the drive, where the heat transfer assembly comprises a first heat transfer section connected to a first rotatable link of the robot arm and a second heat transfer section, where the first heat transfer section is configured to rotate relative to the second heat transfer section, where the first heat transfer section is configured to transfer heat from the robot arm to the second heat transfer section, and where the first heat transfer section has portions interleaved with portions of the second heat transfer section and configured to move in gaps between the portions of the second heat transfer section.   
     
     
         35 . A method as in  claim 34  where the heat transfer assembly comprises a radiation sink as the portion of the first heat transfer section, where the radiation sink is coupled to a thermoelectric cooler, and where the thermoelectric cooler is coupled to a body of the first rotatable link. 
     
     
         36 . A method as in  claim 35  where the radiation sink comprises a series of first concentric tubes having high emissivity which are interleaved with second concentric tubes forming the portions of the second heat transfer section. 
     
     
         37 . A method as in  claim 34  where the drive comprises the second heat transfer section, and where the second heat transfer section comprises a thermoelectric cooler in vacuum or atmosphere, and a heat sink in atmosphere which is connected to the thermoelectric cooler. 
     
     
         38 . A method as in  claim 34  where:
 the portions of the first heat transfer section comprises a first radiation sink, where the first heat transfer section further comprises a first thermoelectric cooler coupled to the first radiation sink, where the first thermoelectric cooler is coupled to a body of the first rotatable link, where the first radiation sink comprises a series of first concentric tubes having high emissivity, and 
 the drive comprises the second heat transfer section, where the portions of the second heat transfer section comprise a second radiation sink, where the second radiation sink comprises a series of second concentric tubes which are interleaved with the series of first concentric tubes, and where the second heat transfer section comprises a second thermoelectric cooler connected to a heat sink in atmosphere. 
 
     
     
         39 . A method as in  claim 38  where the first thermoelectric cooler is located between the first radiation sink and the first rotatable link, and the second thermoelectric cooler is located between the second radiation sink and the heat sink. 
     
     
         40 . A method as in  claim 34  further comprising connecting the drive and the heat transfer assembly to a vacuum chamber, where the vacuum chamber is configured to form a first environment separated from atmosphere environment by the vacuum chamber, where the robot arm is located in the vacuum chamber, where the drive extends through an aperture in the vacuum chamber, and where the heat transfer assembly is located at least partially in the aperture with the first heat transfer section in the first environment and the second heat transfer section located in both the first environment and the atmosphere environment, where the heat transfer assembly at least partially seals the aperture to keep the first environment separated from the atmosphere environment, where:
 the portions of the first heat transfer section comprises a first radiation sink, where the first heat transfer section further comprises a first thermoelectric cooler coupled to the first radiation sink, where the first thermoelectric cooler is coupled to a body of the first rotatable link, where the first radiation sink comprises a series of first concentric tubes having high emissivity, and 
 the drive comprises the second heat transfer section, where the portions of the second heat transfer section comprise a second radiation sink, where the second radiation sink comprises a series of second concentric tubes which are interleaved with the series of first concentric tubes, and where the second heat transfer section comprises a second thermoelectric cooler connected to a heat sink, and where the heat sink is configured to be in the atmosphere environment.