Patent ID: 8758521

Claim:
A method of cleaning a semiconductor substrate, comprising: cleaning a semiconductor substrate formed with a line-and-space pattern with use of a cleaning liquid; rinsing the semiconductor substrate with rinse water following the cleaning, the rinsing including: supplying deionized water and hydrochloric acid into a mixing section to mix the deionized water and the hydrochloric acid into a mixture; heating the mixture in the mixing section by a heater; detecting a pH value and a temperature of the mixture by a pH sensor and a temperature sensor respectively; adjusting an amount of hydrochloric acid supplied into the mixing section so that the rinse water has a predetermined pH value indicative of acidity; energizing or de-energizing the heater so that the temperature of the mixture detected by the temperature sensor reaches a predetermined temperature, thereby producing the rinse water which has a temperature of not less than 70° C. and is acidic; and supplying the rinse water to rinse the semiconductor substrate for a treating time set to be not more than 10 seconds; and drying the semiconductor substrate for a treating time set to be not more than 10 seconds, following the rinsing, wherein an atmospheric pressure around a part of the semiconductor substrate is reduced during the drying applied to said part.