Abstract: An apparatus for the in-situ cleaning of the interior surfaces of a processing chamber (14) and/or tooling or substrates disposed within said chamber where said chamber is composed substantially of dielectric material having at least one powered and one grounded electrode (30) formed from a thin film of conductive material deposited directly on the exterior surface of said chamber, a means for introducing gas (26) into the chamber, a means for establishing and maintaining a reduced pressure environment (22) within the chamber, and a supply of radio frequency power (32). A plasma is created in the chamber by the interaction of the RF field established in the chamber upon the application of RF power to the electrodes with the gas in the chamber, and the plasma creates gaseous species that etch unwanted deposits and/or contaminates from the interior surfaces of the chamber and/or the surfaces of tooling or substrates disposed in the chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for the in-situ cleaning of Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition tube chambers (32) or Reduced Pressure Epitaxy bell jar chambers (42) having a base member (22) to create a vacuum seal upon engagement with the loading end of the chamber, at least one powered electrode (62) which protrudes from the base member into the chamber, at least on grounded electrode (60) which also protrudes from the base member into the chamber, a means for introducing gas (92) into the chamber, and an electrical network (16) that creates a radio frequency electrical field between the powered electrode and the grounded electrode. A plasma is created in the chamber by the interaction of the gas and the RF field, and the plasma etches unwanted deposits from the inner wall of the chamber. Several different configurations of electrode structures are shown.