Patent ID: 7373736

Claim:
A substrate processing apparatus which dries a surface of a substrate which is wet with a liquid, comprising: a proximity member which includes an opposed surface disposed facing the surface of the substrate but away from the surface of the substrate and which is structured to move freely and relatively to the substrate in a predetermined moving direction in a condition that a space between the opposed surface and the surface of the substrate is filled with said liquid to form a liquid-tight layer; a driver which moves said proximity member relatively to the substrate in the moving direction; and a gas discharger which discharges a drying gas which dries the surface of the substrate, wherein said proximity member further includes a guide surface which is connected with an upstream side portion, which is located on the upstream side in the moving direction among side portions defining the opposed surface, and which extends from the position of connection with the upstream side portion in a direction away from the surface of the substrate overlooking the upstream side in the moving direction, and said gas discharger, in the moving direction, is disposed on the upstream side relative to said proximity member and discharges said drying gas toward an upstream-side interface of the liquid-tight layer.