A method for removing a native oxide film from a semiconductor substrate includes repetitively depositing layers of germanium on the native oxide and heating the substrate causing the layer of germanium to form germanium oxide, desorbing a portion of the native oxide film. The process is repeated until the oxide film is removed. A subsequent layer of strontium titanate can be deposited on the semiconductor substrate, over either residual germanium or a deposited germanium layer. The germanium can be converted to silicon germanium oxide by exposing the strontium titanate to oxygen.

Disclosed are sulfur-containing compounds for plasma etching channel holes, gate trenches, staircase contacts, capacitor holes, contact holes, etc., in Si-containing layers on a substrate and plasma etching methods of using the same. The plasma etching compounds may provide improved selectivity between the Si-containing layers and mask material, less damage to channel region, a straight vertical profile, and reduced bowing in pattern high aspect ratio structures.

A method for in-situ dry cleaning of a SiGe semiconductor surface doses the SiGe surface with ex-situ wet HF in a clean ambient environment or in-situ dosing with gaseous NH.sub.4F to remove oxygen containing contaminants. Dosing the SiGe surface with atomic H removes carbon containing contaminants. Low temperature annealing pulls the surface flat. Passivating the SiGe semiconductor surface with H.sub.2O.sub.2 vapor for a sufficient time and concentration forms an a oxygen monolayer(s) of —OH sites on the SiGe. Second annealing the SiGe semiconductor surface is conducted at a temperature below that which would induce dopant diffusion. A method for in-situ dry cleaning of a SiGe semiconductor surface, ex-situ degreases the Ge containing semiconductor surface and removes organic contaminants. The surface is then dosed with HF(aq) or NH4F(g) generated via NH.sub.3+NH or NF.sub.3 with H.sub.2 or H.sub.2O to remove oxygen containing contaminants. In-situ dosing of the SiGe surface with atomic H removes carbon containing contaminants.

There is provided a film forming method comprising an organic substance removal step of removing an organic substance adhering to an oxide film generated on a surface of a base by supplying a hydrogen-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas to the base; an oxide film removal step of removing the oxide film formed on the surface of the base after the organic substance removal step; and a film forming step of forming a predetermined film on the surface of the base after the oxide film removal step.

The present disclosure relates to a method for reducing metal contamination on a surface of a substrate. The method involves plasma treatment of the surface of the substrate by ion bombardment, wherein a plasma of a supplied gas is generated, and a bombardment energy of the ions in the plasma is controlled by a radio frequency electromagnetic field. The bombardment energy of the ions is higher than a first threshold so as to tear the metal contamination from the surface of the substrate, and the bombardment energy of the ions is lower than a second threshold so as to prevent a surface quality degradation of the surface of the substrate.

A process chamber system adapted for both vacuum process steps and steps at pressures higher than atmospheric pressure. The chamber door may utilize a double door seal which allows for high vacuum in the gap between the seals such that the sealing force provided by the high vacuum in the seal gap is higher than the opposing forces due to the pressure inside the chamber and the weight of the components.

An apparatus for wafer bonding includes a transfer module and a plasma module. The transfer module is configured to transfer a semiconductor wafer. The plasma module is configured to apply a first type of plasma to perform a reduction operation upon a surface of the semiconductor wafer at a temperature within a predetermined temperature range to convert metal oxides on the surface of the semiconductor wafer to metal, and apply a second type of plasma to perform a plasma operation upon the surface of the semiconductor wafer at a room temperature outside the predetermined temperature range to activate a surface of the semiconductor wafer.

A method of removing particles of a substrate processing apparatus includes a pressure increasing process, a circulating process, and a particle removing process. In the pressure increasing process, a pressure in a processing space is increased by supplying a cleaned fluid from a first supply line to the processing space in a state where a second on-off valve and a third on-off valve are closed. In the circulating process, a processing fluid is supplied from a second supply line to the processing space and discharged from a discharge line by opening the second on-off valve and the third on-off valve after the pressure increasing process. In the particle removing process, a flow of the cleaned fluid is generated against the pressure of the processing space in the second supply line by opening and closing the second on-off valve during the pressure increasing process.

There is provided a gas cluster processing device for performing a predetermined process on a workpiece by irradiating the workpiece with a gas cluster, including: a processing container in which the workpiece is disposed; a gas supply part configured to supply a gas for generating the gas cluster; a flow rate controller configured to control a flow rate of the gas supplied from the gas supply part; a cluster nozzle configured to receive the gas for generating the gas cluster at a predetermined supply pressure, spray the gas into the processing container maintained in a vacuum state, and convert the gas into the gas cluster through an adiabatic expansion; and a pressure control part provided in a pipe between the flow rate controller and the cluster nozzle and including a back pressure controller configured to control a supply pressure of the gas for generating the gas cluster.

A plasma purge method that is performed after dry cleaning in a process container and before applying a deposition process to a substrate includes: (a) activating and supplying a first process gas containing Cl.sub.2 in the process container; and (b) activating and supplying a second process gas containing H.sub.2 and O.sub.2 in the process container.