Patent ID: 8021512

Claim:
An apparatus for preventing premature drying of a surface of a substrate between fabrication operations in a fabrication process, the apparatus comprising: a substrate supporting device to receive and support the substrate; and a gas chemistry applicator disposed in a transition region of an ambient controlled chamber, the gas chemistry applicator configured to receive and apply a saturated gas chemistry to the surface of the substrate, the applied saturated gas chemistry substantially contained in a transition region, wherein the transition region is defined as a region that is disposed between a first substrate treatment sub-region and a second substrate treatment sub-region within the ambient controlled chamber where the fabrication operations are performed, the application of the saturated gas chemistry providing an isotropic exposure to the surface of the substrate in the transition region such that the surface of the substrate exposed to the saturated gas chemistry in the transition region reduces, the surface of the substrate, from premature drying during transition between the first substrate treatment sub-region and the second substrate treatment sub-region, wherein the first substrate treatment sub-region is defined by a first proximity head portion and the second substrate treatment sub-region is defined by a second proximity head portion.