Patent ID: 7163019

Claim:
A drying system for a semiconductor structure comprising: a vessel having a top, a bottom, and a plurality of at least three sides, the vessel including a semiconductor stage for disposing the semiconductor structure thereon; a DI water inlet configured to supply DI water in the vessel to at least partially fill the vessel to a level that would allow the semiconductor structure disposed on the semiconductor stage to be submerged in the DI water; at least one gas inlet configured to supply a gas inert to the semiconductor structure to substantially fill the vessel so that the gas is maintained above the level of the DI water, the at least one gas inlet connected to a fail-shut valve, the at least one gas inlet comprising one of an inlet in the top of the vessel and an inlet in at least one side of the at least three sides of the vessel; and a plurality of liquid inlets configured to supply a liquid to the vessel so that the liquid is disposed between the DI water and the gas, the vessel configured such that the semiconductor stage having the semiconductor structure disposed thereon and an upper surface of the DI water move relative to each other so that the semiconductor structure is exposed through the upper surface of the DI water to the gas to rinse and dry the semiconductor structure in the vessel.