Patent ID: 8492284

Claim:
A method for etching and depositing silicon materials on a substrate surface, comprising: heating a substrate comprising a silicon-containing material to a temperature of about 800° C. or less within a process chamber, wherein a contaminant is disposed on the silicon-containing material; removing the contaminant and a portion of the silicon-containing material to reveal an exposed surface of the silicon-containing material during an etching process, wherein the etching process comprises exposing the contaminant and the silicon-containing material to an etching gas comprising chlorine gas (Cl 2 ) and a silicon source gas within the process chamber and the silicon-containing material is removed at a rate within a range from about 2 Åper minute to about 20 Åper minute during the etching process; and depositing a silicon-containing layer on the exposed surface of the silicon-containing material during a deposition process by flowing the chlorine gas and the silicon source gas to the exposed surface within the process chamber, wherein the deposition process is an alternating gas supply process further comprising providing alternating exposures of the chlorine gas and the silicon source gas to the exposed surface while epitaxially growing the silicon-containing layer on the exposed surface.