Patent ID: 7064084

Claim:
An oxide film formation method to form an oxide film on a surface of a wafer, the method comprising: a pretreatment process of forming a protective oxide film on the surface of the wafer positioned in a reaction vessel, the pretreatment process being performed by an oxidation treatment with radical oxidative species under depressurized conditions at a first temperature or by an oxidation treatment with an atmosphere containing radical oxidative species under depressurized conditions at the first temperature; and an oxide film formation process to form an oxide film on the surface of said wafer with the protective oxide film obtained by the pretreatment process, the oxide film formation process being performed by an oxidation treatment at a second temperature higher than the first temperature under depressurized conditions, wherein the pretreatment process is performed under depressurized conditions, and a level of depressurization during pretreatment is higher than a level of depressurization for the oxide film formation process.