A system and method for processing substrates, such as porous low-K semiconductor wafers, using ultraviolet (UV) radiation is disclosed. The substrates are first cleaned in a wet processing module and then dried in a UV module under reduced pressure and at a temperature below 100 C., preferably at or below 80 C. A robot module transfers the substrates from the wet processing module to the UV module. The UV module can include a pulse xenon excimer lamp providing incoherent vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation at 172 nm.