Patent ID: 6155768
Filing Date: 2000-12-05
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A robot arm system for moving specimens having effective centers among first and second specimen storage cassettes and a specimen processing station, the robot arm system including first and second robot arm mechanisms rotatable about respective first and second shoulder axes and each operable to move respective first and second wrist axes along linear paths that extend radially from the respective first and second shoulder axes, the first and second robot arm mechanisms further operable to angularly shift the respective first and second wrist axes about the respective first and second shoulder axes such that the linear paths are shiftable about the first and second shoulder axes, an improvement comprising:a first offset hand extending from the first wrist axis for grasping the effective center of one of the specimens such that when the first robot arm mechanism moves the first wrist axis along a first linear path, the effective center of the specimen moves along a first offset linear path that is parallel to and spaced apart a first offset distance from the first linear path, and when the first robot arm mechanism shifts the first wrist axis into coincidence with a second linear path, the first offset hand is movable along a second offset linear path that is parallel to and spaced apart the first offset distance from the second linear path;a second offset hand extending from the second wrist axis for grasping the effective center of one of the specimens such that when the second robot arm mechanism moves the second wrist axis along a third linear path, the effective center of the specimen moves along a third offset linear path that is parallel to and spaced apart a second offset distance from the third linear path, and when the second robot arm mechanism shifts the second wrist axis into coincidence with a fourth linear path, the second offset hand is movable along a fourth offset linear path that is parallel to and spaced apart the second offset distance from the fourth linear path; andthe first and second shoulder axes being spaced apart such that the second offset linear path can substantially share a common linear path with the fourth offset linear path.