| 主权项 |
1. A process liquid supply apparatus, comprising:
a process liquid supply source; a filter unit that filters a process liquid supplied from the process liquid supply source, the filter unit being connected to the process liquid supply source via a first pipe and a first valve provided in the first pipe; a trap that stores the process liquid ejected from the filter unit, the trap being connected to the filter unit via a second pipe; a discharge outlet that discharges a gas in the process liquid from the filter unit and the trap, the discharge outlet being connected to the filter unit via a third pipe and a second valve provided in the third pipe and to the trap via a fourth pipe and a third valve provided in the fourth pipe; a liquid sending unit that supplies the process liquid from the trap to target objects through a nozzle, the liquid sending unit being connected to the trap via a fifth pipe and a fourth valve provided in the fifth pipe; a pressurizing gas supply source that supplies a pressurizing gas to pressurize an upstream side of the filter unit; and a controller configured to control operations of the process liquid supply source, the filter unit, the trap, the discharge outlet, the liquid sending unit and the pressuring gas supply source, wherein the controller is configured to open the first and second valves and closes the third and fourth valves while controlling the pressurizing gas supply source to pressurize the upstream side of the filter unit, so that the filter unit is filled with the process liquid from the upstream side of the filter unit to a downstream side of the filter unit, and wherein the controller is configured to perform a control to repeat a depressurization filtering process and a pressurization filtering process for a predetermined number of times by:
in the depressurization filtering process, opening the first and fourth valve and closing the second and third valves while controlling the liquid sending unit to perform a suction action, so that the process liquid is depressurized in the downstream side of the filter unit and permeates through the filter unit; andin the pressurization filtering process, opening the first and third valves and closing the second and fourth valves while controlling the pressurizing gas supply source to pressurize the upstream side of the filter unit, so that the process liquid is pressurized from the upstream side of the filter unit and permeates through the filter unit. |
