Abstract: A system (10) for the vacuum processing of substrates such as semiconductor wafers which includes a central handling chamber (14), a number of separately pumped and randomly accessed process chambers (16-19), and dual load lock chambers (22) which communicate with the central handling chamber. This configuration permits one batch of substrates to be subjected to load lock evacuation while a second batch, having been previously evacuated, is transferred one at a time to selected process chambers. Substrate transfer from the load locks to the central handling chamber is by means of elevators (42) and by means of a handling assembly (24) which undergoes and Z motion only, with final transfer from the central handling chamber to the process chambers being accomplished by pivoting platen assemblies (66).