Patent ID: 8070884

Claim:
A method of processing a microelectronic device comprising the steps of: supporting a microelectronic device on a support that is operatively provided within a processing chamber; rinsing the microelectronic device by dispensing rinsing fluid onto a surface of the microelectronic device within the processing chamber; delivering drying enhancement substance into a gas environment within the processing chamber during at least a portion of the rinsing step and for a time period after the dispensing of rinsing fluid is terminated for drying the microelectronic device so that the drying enhancement substance is present at a desired concentration within the gas environment of the processing chamber below its saturation point to thereby set a dew point for the drying enhancement substance; and controlling the temperature of the rinse fluid as dispensed during at least a final portion of the rinsing step to be below the dew point of the drying enhancement substance within the processing chamber for cooling the surface of the microelectronic device during at least the final portion of the rinsing step to a temperature that causes a local cooling of the gas environment so that drying enhancement substance condenses to the surface of the microelectronic device.