Method and apparatus for characterizing metal oxide reduction

An apparatus for characterizing metal oxide reduction, the apparatus comprising:

• an anneal chamber;
• a substrate support for holding a substrate in the anneal chamber, wherein the substrate includes a metal seed layer;
• a processing chamber separate from the anneal chamber;
• and
• a controller configured with instructions for performing the following operations:
• (a) providing oxygen into the anneal chamber;
• (b) heating the substrate support in the anneal chamber;
• (c) exposing the substrate to the heated substrate support and to the oxygen to form a metal oxide of the metal seed layer in the anneal chamber;
• (d) transferring the substrate to the processing chamber;
• and
• (e) exposing the substrate to a reducing treatment under conditions that reduce the metal oxide to metal in the form of a film integrated with the metal seed layer.