Substrate processing method, substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing system

A substrate processing method comprising:

• a wet processing step performed in a wet processing apparatus to subject a substrate to a predetermined wet process by supplying thereto a processing solution;
• a first transport step following said wet processing step to transport said substrate, as wetted with said processing solution, to a replacing apparatus;
• a replacing step performed in said replacing apparatus for supplying an anti-drying solution to said substrate thereby replacing said processing solution adhered to said substrate with said anti-drying solution;
• a second transport step following said replacing step to transport said substrate, as wetted with said anti-drying solution, to a high-pressure drying apparatus;
• and
• a drying step performed in said high-pressure drying apparatus for high-pressure drying said substrate by the use of a high-pressure fluid or a mixture of the high-pressure fluid and a chemical agent, as a processing fluid.

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

• substrate retaining means for retaining a substrate;
• processing solution supply means for supplying a processing solution to the substrate retained by said substrate retaining means thereby subjecting the substrate to a predetermined wet process;
• and
• anti-drying solution supply means for supplying an anti-drying solution to said substrate subjected to said wet process thereby replacing said processing solution adhered to said substrate with said anti-drying solution.

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of developing units for performing different developing processes for a substrate, respectively;
• a high-pressure processing unit for allowing a high-pressure fluid or a mixture of the high-pressure fluid and a chemical agent, as a processing fluid, to contact a surface of said developed substrate thereby performing a predetermined surface treatment for said developed substrate;
• and
• a transport unit, capable of accessing said plural developing units and said high-pressure processing unit, for unloading the developed substrate from any one of said plural developing units and for loading said developed substrate into said high-pressure processing unit.