Abstract: Deionized water is supplied into a rinsing bath from its bottom portion and overflows from the upper portion of the rinsing bath to form an upflow of deionized water in the rinsing bath. A substrate is rinsed by being immersed in the upflow of deionized water. After rinsing, the substrate is removed from deionized water, and at this tim the surroundings of the substrate are supplied with vapor of an organic solvent soluble in water which serves to lower surface tension of deionized water to the substrate. Thereafter, the substrate is dried in a sealed chamber that is evacuated and the surroundings of the substrate are reduced in pressure. As a result, during drying the substrate surface after rinsing same with deionized water, it is possible to reduce adhesion of particles to the substrate surface, and to dry the substrate surface rapidly without heating the substrate.