Methods for removing contamination from surfaces in substrate processing systems

A method for removing contaminants from a surface of a first layer disposed atop a semiconductor wafer disposed in a substrate processing system, comprising:

• providing a first process gas comprising a chlorine containing gas, a hydrogen containing gas, and an inert gas to a process chamber having the surface disposed within the process chamber;
• igniting the first process gas to form a plasma from the first process gas using an RF power source providing about 150 watts to about 300 watts of power at a frequency of about 13.56 MHz;
• exposing the surface to the plasma to remove contaminants from the surface;
• applying a bias power to the semiconductor wafer while exposing the surface of the first layer to the plasma, wherein the bias power is provided from an RF power source providing about 10 watts to about 50 watts of power;
• and
• exposing the semiconductor wafer to a second process gas comprising hydrogen (H2) and tert-butyl-alcohol (TBA) at a temperature of about 600 degrees Celsius to about 650 degrees Celsius.