System and method for radical and thermal processing of substrates

A method of making a memory device on a substrate comprising:

• forming a channel structure in a film stack by etching a channel in the film stack and placing a channel layer at a bottom and in an inner surface of the channel, the channel structure in the film stack having aspect ratios greater than about 20:1;
• exposing the channel structure with hydrogen radicals in a first processing volume of a first processing chamber;
• and
• heating the channel structure at a temperature of about 100° C. to about 1100° C.

A method of processing a substrate comprising:

• forming an amorphous silicon-containing layer over a bottom and inner surface of a channel formed in a film stack of the substrate, the film stack comprising alternating oxide and nitride layers (ON) or of alternating oxide and polysilicon layers (OP);
• exposing the amorphous silicon-containing layer to hydrogen radicals;
• heating the substrate at a first temperature of about 100° C. to about 1100° C. to form a nucleated silicon-containing layer of the substrate;
• and
• heating the nucleated silicon-containing layer at a second temperature different from the first temperature.