Abstract: An isolative substrate edge area processing method and apparatus is described. The apparatus has an isolator for isolating and processing by dry chemical technique a portion of a substrate including a substrate edge region. The isolator has nozzles for directing a flow of reactive species towards the edge area of the substrate and a purge plenum for biasing flow of reactive species towards an exhaust plenum while the substrate rotates on a chuck. Tuned flow control prevents migration of reactive species and reaction byproducts out of the processing area. A method for processing a substrate with the isolator involves directing a flow of reactive species at an angle towards an edge area of the substrate while forming a boundary around the processing area with flow control provided by the purge plenum, and exhaust plenum.

Abstract: A substrate processing method and apparatus using a combustion flame of a gaseous mixture of hydrogen and a non-oxygen oxidizer is described. The method uses the hydrogen and non-oxygen oxidizer combustion flame to impinge upon a substrate surface for chemically reacting with a thin film on the surface and thus etching the substrate. The method is performed in a substantially inert and non-ionized environment at a substantially atmospheric pressure. An apparatus for processing a substrate with the method has a processing chamber for containing the inert environment and a nozzle head for directing the combustion flame towards a substrate retained upon a substrate holder. In an embodiment, an edge nozzle assembly is angled towards the edge of the wafer for treating the near-edge and edge of the wafer. In this embodiment, a heater preheats the substrate in the near-edge region to be processed.