Treatments for controlling deposition defects

A method of semiconductor processing comprising:

• forming a plasma of one or more deposition precursors in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber;
• depositing a material on a substrate housed in the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber;
• halting a flow of at least one of the one or more deposition precursors into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber;
• contacting the material deposited on the substrate with plasma effluents of an oxidizing material;
• and
• forming volatile materials from a surface of the material deposited on the substrate.

A method of semiconductor processing comprising:

• forming a plasma of a carbon-containing precursor in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber;
• depositing a carbon-containing material on a substrate housed in the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber;
• halting a flow of the carbon-containing precursor into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber;
• contacting the carbon-containing material with plasma effluents of an oxidizing material;
• and
• forming volatile materials from a surface of the carbon-containing material.