Patent ID: 7146746

Claim:
A method of decontamination, comprising the steps of: generating a decontamination gas by evaporating an aqueous solution in which the decontamination gas with a higher boiling point than water is dissolved; charging the decontamination gas into a hermetically sealed decontamination chamber; condensing the decontamination gas in the hermetically sealed decontamination chamber; forming a condensed liquid layer in a form of a thin film on an outer surface of a decontamination subject in the hermetically sealed decontamination chamber; evaporating the condensed liquid layer at least partially by supplying unsaturated gas into the hermetically sealed decontamination chamber, the unsaturated gas not saturating in the hermetically sealed decontamination chamber; and re-condensing the decontamination gas after the evaporating step to re-form the condensed liquid layer, by closing supply of the unsaturated gas and re-charging the decontamination gas into the hermetically sealed decontamination chamber.