Patent ID: 8236378

Claim:
A wet processing method of processing a surface of a substrate held substantially horizontally by a substrate holding device surrounded by a cup by pouring process solutions supplied by a process solution supply unit through process solution pouring nozzles onto the substrate, said wet processing method comprising the steps of: holding the process solution pouring nozzles on a nozzle bath; carrying the process solution pouring nozzles between the nozzle bath and a pouring position above the substrate held by the substrate holding device; obtaining image data on tips of the process solution pouring nozzles while the process solution pouring nozzles are being carried in the step of carrying the process solution pouring nozzle; deciding whether or not a globule of the process solution is in a drippy state, in which the globule of the process solution protrudes down from a tip of a process solution pouring nozzle, and whether or not the globule of the process solution is in a dripping state, in which the process solution has dripped off a tip of a process solution pouring nozzle, on the basis of image data obtained in the step of obtaining image data; and making the process solution supply unit and/or the nozzle carrying mechanism execute a drip preventing operation when it is decided that a globule of the process solution is in a drippy or dripping state, wherein the drip preventing operation being a first operation for returning the process solution pouring nozzle back to the nozzle bath and discharging the process solutions through the process solution pouring nozzles into the nozzle bath or a second operation for stopping carrying a succeeding substrate into the wet processing system.