Patent attributes
A substrate having a liquid film formed by pre-processing unit is transported by a substrate transport robot from the pre-processing unit to a freeze processing unit disposed away from the pre-processing unit. In the freeze-processing unit, the liquid film is frozen. This causes the adhesion power of contaminants adhering to the surface of the substrate reduce, and therefore the contaminants is detached from the surface of the substrate. Subsequently, the substrate which was subjected to the freezing process, is transported from the freeze processing unit to a post-processing unit which is disposed away from the pre-processing unit and the freeze processing. In the post-processing unit, a cleaning liquid is supplied to the frozen film on the rotating substrate, thereby easily removing the contaminants adhering to the substrate together with the frozen film.