Treatment to eliminate polysilicon defects induced by metallic contaminants

A method of eliminating contaminants on a surface of a semiconductor substrate comprising:

• providing a mainframe;
• providing a semiconductor substrate into said mainframe;
• heating said semiconductor substrate to an elevated temperature within said mainframe;
• while heating said semiconductor substrate, purging said mainframe and a surface of said semiconductor substrate by contacting a chlorine-containing gas with said surface to form volatile chloride byproducts of contaminants within said mainframe;
• and
• removing said volatile chloride byproducts from said mainframe to provide said semiconductor substrate with a clean substrate surface.

An apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor substrate, said apparatus comprising:

• a mainframe;
• at least one workpiece holder within said mainframe adapted to hold a semiconductor substrate;
• at least one heating element adapted to heat said mainframe to an elevated temperature;
• at least one input line adapted to provide a chlorine-containing vapor into said mainframe, said chlorine-containing vapor adapted to form volatile chloride byproducts with contaminants within said mainframe;
• and
• at least one output line adapted to remove said volatile chloride byproducts from said mainframe,
• wherein said apparatus is adapted to clean said semiconductor substrate surface by eliminating contaminants on a surface of said semiconductor substrate.