Abstract: A wafer treatment system including a load lock chamber in communication with a process chamber. At least one cradle is provided in the load lock chamber, each cradle being adapted to receive a wafer-holding cassette. The wafers contained in the cassettes assume angularly justified positions. A multiaxial transfer unit picks up wafers from the cassettes and delivers them to the process chamber for treatment after which they are returned to the cassettes. Because all of the wafers lean in the same direction and to the same degree in their cassette slots, an end effector carried by the multiaxial transfer unit can reliably capture and release the wafers in order to consistently remove them from and place them into the cassettes.