Applied Materials, Inc.
Methods and apparatus for aluminum oxide surface recovery

Abstract:

A method of cleaning a surface of a substrate uses alcohol and water treatments. The method may include applying an alcohol treatment on a surface of the substrate with the alcohol treatment configured to provide surface reduction and applying a water treatment to the surface of the substrate with the water treatment configured to enhance selectivity of at least a portion of the surface for a subsequent barrier layer process by removing alcohol from the at least a portion of the surface. The water treatment may be performed simultaneously with the alcohol treatment or performed after the alcohol treatment. The water treatment may include vaporized water or water injected into a plasma to produce hydrogen or oxygen radicals.