Abstract: A plasma chamber is provided having an upper insulating member as a lid of the plasma chamber. The lid of the plasma chamber, usually in the form of a bell jar, has an inside surface which will be exposed to the interior of the plasma chamber. A nucleation layer is affixed to the inside surface of the insulating member. The nucleation layer is selected to be a material which will enhance the growth on itself of the particular material being etched within the process chamber. For example, if the pre-clean chamber is being used to etch oxides, the nucleation layer is selected to be of a type which will create a large number of nucleation sites for the growth of an oxide layer on the interior wall of the bell jar. Each nucleation site becomes the starting point for the adherence of the etched oxide atoms onto the wall of the bell jar. Wafers pre-cleaned in such a chamber have a lower defect density. Further, longer times are permitted between cleaning and replacing components in the pre-clean chamber.