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A vibration damper for a semiconductor wafer handling arm includes a spring and a mass coupled to the spring to form a mass spring system that is tuned to vibrate at a structural resonant frequency of the vibrating wafer handling arm. The spring has temperature insensitive spring characteristics and

A vibration damper for a semiconductor wafer handling arm includes a spring and a mass coupled to the spring to form a mass spring system that is tuned to vibrate at a structural resonant frequency of the vibrating wafer handling arm. The spring has temperature insensitive spring characteristics and the mass and spring are constructed of materials that do not outgas or produce contaminants in a semiconductor processing environment. The mass spring system is preferably a cantilever beam spring connected to a high response point on the vibrating arm and oriented to vibrate in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the wafer. The mass is preferably slidably adjustable along the length of the cantilever beam spring to adjust the resonant frequency of the vibration damper. Vibration damping of the wafer handling arm is accomplished by the transfer of kinetic energy from the vibrating wafer handling arm to the mass spring system.

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1. A system for reducing vibrations in a wafer handling arm comprising:a wafer handling arm for handling wafers, the wafer handling arm defining a plane; anda vibration damper connected to a response point on the wafer handling arm, the vibration damper comprising:a mass; anda spring connected betwe

1. A system for reducing vibrations in a wafer handling arm comprising:a wafer handling arm for handling wafers, the wafer handling arm defining a plane; anda vibration damper connected to a response point on the wafer handling arm, the vibration damper comprising:a mass; anda spring connected between the response point on the wafer handling arm and the mass to form a mass spring system having a desired vibration frequency in an out of plane direction, the vibration frequency of the mass spring system corresponding to an out of plane bending mode vibration frequency of the wafer handling arm to be damped by the vibration damper to prevent contaminant-producing impacts between the wafer handling arm and the wafer;the mass and spring being constructed of contaminant-free materials suitable for a low-contaminant wafer processing environment and the vibration damper providing contaminant-free damping by the transfer of kinetic energy from the wafer handling arm to the mass spring system. 2. The system for reducing vibrations in a wafer handling arm according to claim 1 wherein the spring comprises a cantilever beam spring having a first end connected to the response point on the wafer handling arm and a second end. 3. The system for reducing vibrations in a wafer handling arm according to claim 2 wherein the mass is adjustably mounted to the second end of the cantilever beam spring to permit adjustment of the vibration frequency for the mass and the cantilever beam spring. 4. The system for reducing vibrations in a wafer handling arm according to claim 2 wherein the mass is slidably mounted on the cantilever beam spring to permit adjustment of the vibration frequency for the mass and the cantilever beam spring. 5. The system for reducing vibrations in a wafer handling arm according to claim 2 wherein the second end of the cantilever beam spring includes a slot, the mass being slidably mounted along the slot to permit adjustment of the vibration frequency for the mass and the cantilever beam spring. 6. The system for reducing vibrations in a wafer handling arm according to claim 2 wherein the mass includes a channel sized to match the cantilever beam spring, the mass being guided along the cantilever beam spring by engagement between the channel and the cantilever beam spring. 7. The system for reducing vibrations in a wafer handling arm according to claim 1 wherein the mass is adjustably mounted to the spring to permit adjustment of the vibration frequency for the mass spring system. 8. The system for reducing vibrations in a wafer handling arm according to claim 1 wherein the spring is constructed of a material that has substantially temperature insensitive spring characteristics over a temperature range suitable for semiconductor processing. 9. The system for reducing vibrations in a wafer handling arm according to claim 8 wherein the spring is constructed of stainless steel. 10. The system for reducing vibrations in a wafer handling arm according to claim 1 wherein the spring is constructed of a material that does not outgas in a semiconductor processing environment. 11. The system for reducing vibrations in a wafer handling arm according to claim 1 wherein the vibration frequency of the mass spring system corresponds to a second out of plane bending mode vibration frequency of the wafer handling arm.