Substrate transport apparatus

Abstract

A transport apparatus including a frame, a drive section connected to the frame, the drive section having at least one drive axis, at least one arm having an end effector configured for holding a substrate, the at least one arm being connected to the drive section by a transmission link and having at least one degree of freedom axis effecting extension and retraction of the end effector with respect to the at least one arm, and a bearing connected to the frame and the end effector, the bearing defining a guideway that defines the at least one degree of freedom axis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process apparatus comprising:
 a frame;   a drive section having at least two drive axes;   multiple arms, each of the multiple arms having a respective end effector and at least one degree of freedom axis independent of other ones of the multiple arms;   at least one bi-axially rigid transmission link connecting the multiple arms to the drive section; and   at least one anti-friction bearing joining the multiple arms to the frame and defining a degree of freedom axis of at least one arm;   wherein the at least one bi-axially rigid transmission and the at least one anti-friction bearing form a stiff transmission effecting end effector movement along the at least one degree of freedom axis.   
     
     
         2 . The process apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the end effector movement along the at least one degree freedom axis has sub-25 micron definition.