In a method and apparatus for treating a surface of an article, an improved rinse liquid prevents build-up of static charge while avoiding damages to certain types of exposed metal surfaces. In one embodiment, a semiconductor wafer having structures including at least one of cobalt, nickel and platinum is rotated on a spin chuck, as a rinse liquid is dispensed onto a surface of the wafer. The rinse liquid is a dilute aqueous solution of a base of the formula in which R1, R2 and R3 are each independently selected from hydrogen and C1-4 alkyl. The base has a boiling point less than 100° C., and the rinse liquid has a pH in the range of 8 to 10.