US Patent 11776823 Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus

A substrate processing method includes a process of cooling a substrate to below a freezing point of a processing liquid using a cooling fluid brought into contact with the substrate opposite. While the substrate is cooled to below the freezing point of the processing liquid, a droplet of processing liquid is dispensed onto a surface of the substrate at a specified location of a foreign substance. The droplet then forms a frozen droplet portion at the specified location. The frozen droplet portion is then thawed.