CARRIER TRANSPORT SYSTEM, VACUUM PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION OF A CARRIER IN A VACUUM CHAMBER

A carrier transport system for transporting a carrier within a vacuum chamber is described. The carrier transport system includes a track assembly extending in a transport direction, the track assembly comprising: a first passive magnetic unit provided at a first vertical coordinate and extending in the transport direction, a second passive magnetic unit provided at a second vertical coordinate and extending in the transport direction, wherein the first passive magnetic unit and the second passive magnetic unit are configured to counteract the weight of the carrier; and a roller transportation track provided at a third vertical coordinate and comprising a plurality of rollers configured to support partial weight of the carrier, wherein a first vertical distance between the first vertical coordinate and the second vertical coordinate is larger than a second distance between the second vertical coordinate and the third vertical coordinate.