Method of cleaning semiconductor substrate and apparatus for carrying out the same

A method of cleaning a semiconductor wafer comprising the steps of:

• introducing a semiconductor wafer having a natural oxide film formed on a surface of the semiconductor wafer into a reaction chamber;
• introducing a cleaning gas into the reaction chamber;
• exciting the cleaning gas within the reaction chamber in a multi-step manner by selectively irradiating the cleaning gas with radiations having different wavelengths to produce reactive radicals;
• removing the natural oxide film on the semiconductor wafer with the reactive radicals to expose a raw surface of the semiconductor wafer;
• and
• etching the exposed raw surface of the semiconductor wafer.

An apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor wafer having a natural oxide film formed thereon comprising:

• a wet cleaning chamber for cleaning a semiconductor wafer with a pure water or a cleaning agent liquid;
• a gas cleaning chamber for cleaning the semiconductor wafer with reactive radicals;
• communicating means for communicating said wet cleaning chamber and said gas cleaning chamber with each other;
• shutter means for selectively closing said communicating means;
• first transporting means for introducing the semiconductor wafer into said wet cleaning chamber;
• second transporting means for transporting the semiconductor wafer between said wet cleaning chamber and said gas cleaning chamber via said communicating means;
• means for supplying the cleaning liquid into said wet cleaning chamber;
• means for introducing a cleaning gas into said gas cleaning chamber;
• means for exciting the cleaning gas within the gas cleaning chamber to produce reactive radicals and remove the natural oxide film formed on the semiconductor wafer;
• and
• means for etching the exposed surface of the semiconductor wafer.

An apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor wafer with reactive radicals comprising:

• a gas cleaning chamber for cleaning a semiconductor wafer with reactive radicals;
• means for introducing the semiconductor wafer into said gas cleaning chamber;
• means for introducing a cleaning gas into said gas cleaning chamber;
• and
• radiation emitting means including at least two light sources, each emitting light rays having different wavelengths;
• and
• control means for controlling said radiation emitting means such that said at least two light sources are operated independently from each other, a first one of said light sources used to excite the cleaning gas within the gas cleaning chamber to produce reactive radicals which remove a natural oxide film on said semiconductor wafer and a second one of said light sources used to excite the cleaning gas to produce reactive radicals which etch an exposed surface of said semiconductor wafer.