As an important equipment for obtaining vacuum, vacuum pump has received extensive attentions and applications in the fields of electronic chips, large-scale integrated circuits, fine chemicals, biopharmaceuticals, and photovoltaic industries. Its performance largely depends on the drive motor and its control technology. The basic types and working principles of the vacuum pump drive motors are introduced, and their common rules and individual characteristics are summarized. The topologies, cooling methods and intelligent control technologies of the drive motor are reviewed. The control strategies of the vacuum pump drive motors under special working conditions are analyzed. Finally, the main research directions of the vacuum pump drive motor and its control system are prospected.