Patent ID: 11862498
Assignee: BROOKS AUTOMATION US, LLC
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  B  G | IPC B  G  H

Claim 21:
22. An electromagnetic conveyor substrate transport apparatus comprising:
a chamber configured to hold a sealed atmosphere therein, and having a level reference plane and at least one substrate pass through opening for transferring a substrate in and out of the chamber through the opening;
an array of electromagnets, connected to the chamber to form a drive plane at a predetermined height relative to the level reference plane, the array of electromagnets being arranged so that a series of electromagnets of the array of electromagnets define at least one drive line within the drive plane, electromagnets in the series of electromagnets being grouped into at least one multiphase actuator unit, and each of the at least one multiphase actuator unit being coupled to a multiphase alternating current power source;
at least one reaction platen of paramagnetic, diamagnetic, or non-magnetic conductive material disposed to cooperate with the electromagnets of the at least one multiphase actuator unit so that excitation of the electromagnets with alternating current generates levitation and propulsion forces against the reaction platen that controllably levitate and propel the reaction platen along the at least one drive line, in a controlled attitude relative to the drive plane; and
a controller operably coupled to the array of electromagnets and alternating current power source and configured so as to sequentially excite the electromagnets with multiphase alternating current that describe up to six degrees of freedom control of a reaction platen that is at least one of levitated and propelled, wherein each alternating current phase, of the multiphase alternating current, is dynamically allocated between respective electromagnets so that the alternating current phase of each respective electromagnet, of the electromagnet group of the at least one multiphase actuator unit, changes from a first alternating current phase to a second different alternating current phase so in effect the electromagnet group moves virtually and the at least one multiphase actuator unit formed by the electromagnet group moves virtually via dynamic phase allocation along the drive line.