Patent ID: 7780793

Claim:
A method for removing native oxides from a substrate surface, comprising: positioning a substrate comprising an oxide layer within a processing chamber; adjusting a first temperature of the substrate to about 80° C. or less; generating a cleaning plasma from a gas mixture within the processing chamber, wherein the gas mixture comprises ammonia and nitrogen trifluoride having an NH 3 /NF 3 molar ratio of about 10 or greater; condensing the cleaning plasma onto the substrate and forming a thin film during a plasma clean process, wherein the thin film comprises ammonium hexafluorosilicate formed in part from the oxide layer; and heating the substrate to a second temperature within a range from about 100° C. to about 200° C. within the processing chamber at an operating pressure within a range from about 500 mTorr to about 30 Torr while removing the thin film from the substrate and while forming a passivation surface thereon.