Patent ID: 8911561

Claim:
Method for removing a liquid layer from a main surface of a disc-like article comprising: rotating the disc-like article about an axis perpendicular to the disc-like article's main surface, supplying liquid onto the rotating disc-like article from a liquid supply port which is moved across the main surface and toward the edge of the disc-like article, supplying a first gas flow through a first gas supply port onto the rotating disc-like article, thereby opening the liquid layer at a discrete area, wherein the first gas supply port is moved across the main surface and toward the edge of the disc-like article in the same direction as the liquid supply port, and supplying a second gas flow onto the rotating disk-like article through a second gas supply port which is moved across the main surface and toward the edge of the disc-like article in the same direction as the liquid supply port, wherein: the step of supplying liquid is commenced at a location which is before the center of the main surface relative to the moving direction of the liquid supply port and continued as the liquid supply port is moved across the main surface, after the step of supplying liquid is commenced, the step of supplying a first gas flow is commenced at a location which is before the center of the main surface relative to the moving direction of the liquid supply port, and after the step of supplying a first gas flow is commenced, the step of supplying a second gas flow is commenced at a location which is after the center of the main surface relative to the moving direction of the liquid supply port and continued as the second gas supply port is moved across the main surface.