Patent ID: 8277570

Claim:
A method for processing a substrate, comprising: receiving a substrate, the substrate to be processed using a first fluid meniscus and a second fluid meniscus; applying the first fluid meniscus to a top surface of the substrate and applying the second fluid meniscus to the top surface of the substrate, the first fluid meniscus being spaced apart from the second fluid meniscus by a transition region; and applying a saturated gas chemistry to the top surface of the substrate at the transition region, the saturated gas chemistry being configured to maintain moisture in the transition region to prevent drying of the top surface of the substrate in the transition region before the second fluid meniscus is applied to the top surface of the substrate, wherein during the applying of the first and the second fluid menisci to the top surface of the substrate, moving the substrate along a horizontal plane to cause each region on the top surface of the substrate to first move under the first fluid meniscus, then under the saturated gas chemistry, and then under the second fluid meniscus.