A substrate processing technique including a process of forming a liquid film on an upper surface of a substrate and excellently solidifying the liquid film is provided. A substrate processing method includes an atmosphere control step of supplying a drying gas to a front surface of a substrate on which a pattern has been formed and to which a liquid has adhered and making a dry atmosphere around the front surface of the substrate, a to-be-solidified liquid supplying step of supplying a to-be-solidified liquid to the front surface of the substrate, and a solidification step of forming a solidified mass by solidifying a liquid film of the to-be-solidified liquid. The atmosphere control step is started before the liquid film of the to-be-solidified liquid supplied to the front surface of the substrate in the to-be-solidified liquid supplying step is formed.

A substrate processing technique including a process of forming a liquid film on an upper surface of a substrate and excellently solidifying the liquid film is provided. A substrate processing method includes an atmosphere control step of supplying a drying gas to a front surface of a substrate on which a pattern has been formed and to which a liquid has adhered and making a dry atmosphere around the front surface of the substrate, a to-be-solidified liquid supplying step of supplying a to-be-solidified liquid to the front surface of the substrate, and a solidification step of forming a solidified mass by solidifying a liquid film of the to-be-solidified liquid. The atmosphere control step is started before the liquid film of the to-be-solidified liquid supplied to the front surface of the substrate in the to-be-solidified liquid supplying step is formed.

A substrate drying method for drying a front surface of a substrate having a pattern includes a sublimation-agent-liquid-film placing step of placing a liquid film of a liquid sublimation-agent on the front surface of the substrate, a high vapor-pressure liquid placing step of placing a liquid film of a high vapor-pressure liquid that has vapor pressure higher than the sublimation agent and that does not include water on the liquid film of the sublimation-agent placed on the front surface of the substrate, a vaporizing/cooling step of losing vaporization heat in response to vaporization of the high vapor-pressure liquid, and, cooling the sublimation-agent, and, as a result, solidifying the liquid film of the sublimation-agent, and, forming a sublimation-agent film on the front surface of the substrate, and a sublimating step of sublimating the sublimation-agent film.

A substrate drying method for drying a front surface of a substrate having a pattern includes a sublimation-agent-liquid-film placing step of placing a liquid film of a liquid sublimation-agent on the front surface of the substrate, a high vapor-pressure liquid placing step of placing a liquid film of a high vapor-pressure liquid that has vapor pressure higher than the sublimation agent and that does not include water on the liquid film of the sublimation-agent placed on the front surface of the substrate, a vaporizing/cooling step of losing vaporization heat in response to vaporization of the high vapor-pressure liquid, and, cooling the sublimation-agent, and, as a result, solidifying the liquid film of the sublimation-agent, and, forming a sublimation-agent film on the front surface of the substrate, and a sublimating step of sublimating the sublimation-agent film.

The present invention relates to a process for lyophilising a product (3), comprising the steps of providing a bulk product (3) loading system in the form of a bag (1), the bag (1) having an interior and an exterior defined by a flexible wall, the bag (1) further comprising a filling port (5) providing access to the interior of the bag (1), filling a product (3) having a first moisture content into the interior of the bag (1) via the filling port (5), and exposing the product (3) in the interior of the bag (1) to a lyophilisation cycle such that the moisture content of the product (3) is reduced from the first moisture content to a second, lower, moisture content.

The present invention relates to a process for lyophilising a product (3), comprising the steps of providing a bulk product (3) loading system in the form of a bag (1), the bag (1) having an interior and an exterior defined by a flexible wall, the bag (1) further comprising a filling port (5) providing access to the interior of the bag (1), filling a product (3) having a first moisture content into the interior of the bag (1) via the filling port (5), and exposing the product (3) in the interior of the bag (1) to a lyophilisation cycle such that the moisture content of the product (3) is reduced from the first moisture content to a second, lower, moisture content.

There is provided a system (1) including a monitoring unit (50) that analyzes, using a sensor (51), components of a first gas which may include first components and a pre-separation unit (30) disposed upstream of the monitoring unit. The pre-separation unit includes a first supply line (31) that supplies the first gas (35) to the monitoring unit; a second supply line (32) that supplies a second gas (36), which includes components obtained by removing the first components from the first gas using a first separator (40), to the monitoring unit; and an automatic valve station (38) that periodically switches between the first supply line and the second supply line to alternately supply the first gas and the second gas to the monitoring unit.

There is provided a system (1) including a monitoring unit (50) that analyzes, using a sensor (51), components of a first gas which may include first components and a pre-separation unit (30) disposed upstream of the monitoring unit. The pre-separation unit includes a first supply line (31) that supplies the first gas (35) to the monitoring unit; a second supply line (32) that supplies a second gas (36), which includes components obtained by removing the first components from the first gas using a first separator (40), to the monitoring unit; and an automatic valve station (38) that periodically switches between the first supply line and the second supply line to alternately supply the first gas and the second gas to the monitoring unit.

A substrate processing technique including a process of forming a liquid film on an upper surface of a substrate and excellently solidifying the liquid film is provided. A substrate processing method includes an atmosphere control step of supplying a drying gas to a front surface of a substrate on which a pattern has been formed and to which a liquid has adhered and making a dry atmosphere around the front surface of the substrate, a to-be-solidified liquid supplying step of supplying a to-be-solidified liquid to the front surface of the substrate, and a solidification step of forming a solidified mass by solidifying a liquid film of the to-be-solidified liquid. The atmosphere control step is started before the liquid film of the to-be-solidified liquid supplied to the front surface of the substrate in the to-be-solidified liquid supplying step is formed.

A substrate processing technique including a process of forming a liquid film on an upper surface of a substrate and excellently solidifying the liquid film is provided. A substrate processing method includes an atmosphere control step of supplying a drying gas to a front surface of a substrate on which a pattern has been formed and to which a liquid has adhered and making a dry atmosphere around the front surface of the substrate, a to-be-solidified liquid supplying step of supplying a to-be-solidified liquid to the front surface of the substrate, and a solidification step of forming a solidified mass by solidifying a liquid film of the to-be-solidified liquid. The atmosphere control step is started before the liquid film of the to-be-solidified liquid supplied to the front surface of the substrate in the to-be-solidified liquid supplying step is formed.