Patent ID: 8105441

Claim:
A method for processing a substrate, comprising: providing a substrate carrier having an opening sized for receiving a substrate and a plurality of support pins for supporting the substrate within the opening, wherein a diameter of the opening is slightly larger than a diameter of the substrate such that a gap exists between a periphery of the substrate and the substrate carrier when the substrate is placed in the substrate carrier; placing the substrate within the opening of the substrate carrier; moving the substrate carrier with the substrate placed therein between upper and lower proximity heads so as to subject a top surface of the substrate to a first meniscus formed by the upper proximity head and so as to subject a bottom surface of the substrate to a second meniscus formed by the lower proximity head; and driving liquid of the first and second meniscuses from the gap between the periphery of the substrate and the substrate carrier as the first and second meniscuses traverse over the gap so as to reduce a size and a frequency of at least one of entrance or exit marks on the substrate.