Apparatus and method for surface finishing a silicon film

A method of treating a silicon or silicon alloy surface formed on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

• heating a substrate having a silicon or silicon alloy surface in a chamber to a temperature of between 1000°-1300° C.;
• introducing a gas comprising H2 and HCl into said chamber through a plurality of zones, wherein the flow rate of said gas in each zone is independently controllable;
• exposing said silicon or silicon alloy surface to said gas in said chamber while heating said substrate;
• and
• depositing in said chamber a silicon film onto said H2 and HCl exposed silicon or silicon alloy surface.

A method of treating a silicon or silicon alloy surface on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

• heating a substrate having a silicon or silicon alloy surface in a chamber to a temperature of between 1000°-1300° C.;
• exposing said silicon or silicon alloy surface to a first gas comprising HCl and H2 while heating said substrate, wherein said first gas has a first molecular concentration ratio of HCl to H2;
• and
• exposing said silicon or silicon alloy surface to a second gas comprising HCl and H2 while heating said substrate, wherein said second gas has a lower molecular concentration ratio of HCl to H2 than said first gas.

A method of treating the surface of a silicon or silicon alloy film on a silicon on insulator substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

• heating said substrate in a chamber to a temperature between 1050°-1200° C.;
• exposing said silicon or silicon alloy film to a first gas comprising HCl and H2 in said chamber while heating said substrate, wherein said first gas has a molecular concentration ratio of HCl to H2 between 1:100 to 1:1000;
• exposing said silicon or silicon alloy film to a second gas comprising HCl and H2 in said chamber while heating said substrate, wherein said second gas has a molecular concentration ratio of HCl to H2 between 1:100 to 1:1000 and wherein said second gas has a molecular concentration ratio of HCl to H2 which is lower than the molecular concentration ratio of HCl to H2 of said first gas;
• and
• after exposing said silicon film to said second gas, depositing in said chamber a second silicon film on said silicon or silicon alloy film of said silicon on insulator substrate.

A method for treating a surface of a substrate, said method comprising:

• providing a chamber with a plurality of gas inlet zones, wherein the gas flow rate in each gas inlet zone is independently controllable;
• providing a substrate within said chamber, said substrate comprising a cleaved surface, said cleaved surface being characterized by a predetermined surface roughness value and having a distribution of hydrogen bearing particles defined from said cleaved surface to a region underlying said cleaved surface;
• increasing a temperature of said cleaved surface to greater than about 1000° C. while introducing a hydrogen bearing etchant gas into said chamber through said gas inlet zones;
• and
• exposing said cleaved surface to said hydrogen bearing etchant gas, thereby reducing said predetermined surface roughness value by about fifty percent and greater.

A method of treating a silicon or silicon alloy surface of a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

• heating a substrate having a silicon or silicon alloy surface in a chamber to a temperature of between 1000°-1300° C.;
• introducing a gas comprising HCl and H2 into said chamber, wherein the gas has a molecular concentration ratio of HCl to H2 of between 1:100 to 1:1000;
• and
• exposing said silicon or silicon alloy surface to said gas in said chamber while heating said substrate.