PURPOSE: To protect a substrate holder from remaining liquid and avoid the increase of stains and dusts on the substrate surface in a substrate drying process after the substrate is pulled by a method wherein a first substrate holder is made to ascend until a part of the substrate is exposed and then a second substrate holder is made to ascend until the whole substrate is exposed, etc.

CONSTITUTION: In order to pull a semiconductor substrate 3 from liquid 2 into the air, the semiconductor substrate 3 in the liquid 2 is held by a first substrate holder 111a and the first substrate holder 111a is made to ascend until a part of the substrate 3 is exposed to the air. Then the part of the substrate 3 exposed to the air is held by a second substrate holder 121a and the second substrate holder 121a is made to ascend until the whole substrate 3 is exposed to the air. For instance, the first substrate holder 111a is placed in the liquid 2 and elevates the substrate 3 into the air while the holder 111a itself is placed in the liquid 2 and the second substrate holder 121a is placed in the air.