Abstract: Disclosed is a drying method constituted such that a microstructure is brought into contact with liquefied carbon dioxide or supercritical carbon dioxide while the surface of the microstructure being covered with a fluorocarbon type solvent, and that when in a cleaning step using a water-containing solvent, water is substituted for a water draining liquid, and then this water draining liquid is substituted for the fluorocarbon type solvent, enabling steps up to the drying step to be smoothly conducted and to prevent collapse or swell of a photoresist pattern.