SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS

To prevent or at least suppress the collapse of a pattern formed on the surface of a substrate when supercritical drying processing is performed.SOLUTION: A substrate processing method includes: a degassing step of removing a dissolved gas in a processing liquid; a liquid film formation step of forming a liquid film of the processing liquid covering a surface of a substrate, by supplying, onto the surface of the substrate, the processing liquid from which the dissolved gas is removed; a carrying-in step of carrying the substrate having the liquid film formed thereon into a processing vessel; and a supercritical drying step of drying the surface of the substrate by flowing a processing fluid into the processing vessel while maintaining a pressure in the processing vessel, into which the substrate having the liquid film formed thereon is carried, at a pressure allowing the processing fluid to be maintained in a supercritical state, to replace the processing liquid covering the surface of the substrate with the processing fluid, and, then, by vaporizing the processing fluid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4 【課題】超臨界乾燥処理を行う際に基板の表面に形成されたパターンの倒壊を防止または少なくとも抑制する。【解決手段】基板処理方法は、処理液中の溶存ガスを除去する脱気工程と、前記溶存ガスが除去された前記処理液を、基板の表面に供給して、前記基板の表面を覆う前記処理液の液膜を形成する液膜形成工程と、前記液膜が形成された前記基板を、処理容器に搬入する搬入工程と、前記液膜が形成された前記基板が搬入された前記処理容器内の圧力を前記処理流体が超臨界状態を維持する圧力に維持しつつ、前記処理容器内に前記処理流体を流通させ、これにより前記基板の表面を覆う前記処理液を前記処理流体で置換し、その後に前記処理流体を気化させることにより前記基板の表面を乾燥させる超臨界乾燥工程とを備える。【選択図】図４