Recently, there is an increase in the need for precision linear stages with vacuum compatibility in such areas as lithography equipment for wafer or mask manufacturing, mask mastering equipment for optical data storage and electron beam equipment. A simple design, high stiffness and low cost can be achieved by using ball bearings. However, a ball bearing have friction and wear problems just as in ambient air. In order to decrease the friction, a special finish, a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film coating, is applied to the surface of a guide rail by sputtering deposition. This paper presents the result of an experimental investigation on the control performance of a ball bearing-guided linear motion stage under two environmental conditions: in air and vacuum. A comparison between the results with and without the DLC coating was also considered in the experimental investigation.