Patent ID: 7955043

Claim:
A substrate transfer apparatus, comprising: a multijoint arm whose one end is arranged on a base and the other end is connected to a hand for supporting a substrate; a linear guide configured to guide a rectilinear movement of the hand; and a belt driving mechanism configured to move the hand along a guide rail of the linear guide; said belt driving mechanism comprising: a driving pulley connected to a driving shaft, driven pulleys, a belt member spanned between the driving pulley and the driven pulleys, a connecting member that connects the belt member and the hand, said connecting member being integrally fixed to a slider of the linear guide, and a frame member arranged on the base and supports the driving pulley and the driven pulleys; and wherein the driven pulleys are provided in a couple with the driving pulley interposed therebetween; each of the driven pulleys and the driving pulley have an auxiliary pulley that adjusts the tension of the belt member provided therebetween; and the belt member is spanned between the driving pulley and the driven pulleys within a substantially horizontal plane.