Abstract: A process for the wet-chemical surface treatment of semiconductor wafers in which aqueous phases containing one or more chemically active substances in solution act on the wafer surfaces, consisting of spraying a water mist over the wafer surfaces and then introducing chemically active substances in the gaseous state so that these gaseous substances combine with the water mist so that there is an interaction of the gas phase and the liquid phase taking place on the surface of the semiconductor wafer. Gases such as hydrogen fluoride, chlorine and ozonized oxygen or other halogen gases act on the wafer surfaces between rinsing steps so that when the wafers are dried, the surfaces achieve extremely high cleanliness levels.