Patent ID: 9649577
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: B01D

Claim:
1. A method of removing bubbles, the method comprising: providing a bubble removing apparatus comprising a supply source that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate, a container configured to store the processing liquid supplied from the supply source, a degassing nozzle provided between the supply source and the container and having a smaller flow path area at a container side than at a supply source side, an ejecting line configured to eject the processing liquid discharged from the container to the substrate, a circulation line diverging from the ejecting line and configured to return the processing liquid from the ejecting line to the container, a filter device including a filter provided in the ejecting line and configured to filter the processing liquid, a first step of supplying the processing liquid into the container through the degassing nozzle so as to degas the processing liquid supplied from the supply source; after the first step, a second step of supplying a first degassed liquid which is the processing liquid degassed in the first step from the container to the filter device at a first processing liquid flow rate for a first predetermined length of time; after the second step, a third step of supplying the first degassed liquid from the container to the filter device at a second processing liquid flow rate which is higher than the first processing liquid flow rate for a second predetermined length of time; after the third step, a fourth step of supplying the processing liquid into the container through the degassing nozzle so as to degas the processing liquid supplied from the supply source; and after the fourth step, a fifth step of supplying a second degassed liquid which is the processing liquid degassed in the fourth step from the container to the filter device such that the second degassed liquid passing the filter of the filter device is selectively ejected to the substrate through the ejecting line, circulated through the circulation line so as to be returned to the container or discharged to the outside of the bubble removing apparatus, wherein a supplying speed of the processing liquid from the supply source into the container at the first step is faster than a supplying speed of the processing liquid from the supply source into the container at the fourth step.