Patent ID: 7867337

Claim:
A substrate processing apparatus for cleaning a to-be-processed surface of a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a pre-processing unit, including a first retainer, which retains the substrate directly by the first retainer and applies a preprocessing liquid to form a liquid film of the preprocessing liquid on the to-be-processed surface; a freeze processing unit which is disposed away from the pre-processing unit and freezes the liquid film formed on the to-be-processed surface of the substrate; a post-processing unit, including a second retainer and a first rotating section which rotates the substrate retained directly by the second retainer, which is disposed away from both of the pre-processing unit and the freeze processing unit, supplies a post-processing liquid to the frozen liquid film to remove the liquid film from the to-be-processed surface of the substrate and subsequently rotates the substrate to dry out; and a transport unit, including a third retainer, wherein the transport unit transports the substrate from the pre-processing unit to the freeze processing unit with the substrate retained directly by the third retainer; and transports the substrate from the freeze processing unit to the post-processing unit with the substrate retained directly by the third retainer, wherein the top surface of the substrate is the to-be-processed surface, and the freeze processing unit includes: a substrate cooling section having a substrate cooling surface with a surface temperature lower than the freezing point of the preprocessing liquid, and which cools the substrate while disposing the substrate cooling surface close to the substrate in opposing position; and a supporting section which supports the substrate by abutting on the bottom surface of the substrate so as to dispose the substrate and the substrate cooling section away from each other.