Patent ID: 7129184

Claim:
A method of preparing the surface of a Si substrate or layer depositing an epitaxial layer of SiGe comprising the steps of: providing a Si substrate; forming at least one S/D (source/drain) recess in said surface of said Si substrate by isotropic plasma etching, said at least one S/D/ recess having damage at the Si surface of said at least one recess caused by said isotropic plasma etching; subjecting said Si surface to a first cleaning with a solution of HF (hydrogen fluoride); oxidizing said damaged surface of said recess after said first cleaning step to form a layer of silicon oxide; subjecting said formed layer of silicon oxide to a second cleaning with a HF solution to remove said layer of silicon oxide to expose an undamaged Si surface of said at least one recess; and depositing an epitaxial layer of SiGe on said exposed undamaged Si surface of said at least one recess.