Method and apparatus for reducing acidic contamination on a process wafer following an etching process

A method for reducing acidic contamination on a process wafer and in an unloading chamber following a plasma etching process to reduce acidic residue contamination comprising the steps of:

• providing an ambient controlled heating chamber separate from an etching chamber and unloading chamber for accepting transfer of a process wafer under controlled ambient conditions prior to transfer to the unloading chamber;
• transferring the process wafer to the heating chamber under controlled ambient conditions following plasma etching of the process wafer;
• providing a heat exchange surface comprising a wafer support plate within the heating chamber for heating the process wafer;
• heating the process wafer by supplying a heat exchange fluid through the wafer support plate to heat the process wafer to vaporize acidic residue remaining on the process wafer from the plasma etching process to form acidic vapors;
• and,
• simultaneously applying a vacuum pressure to the heating chamber to remove the acidic vapors from the heating chamber.