Abstract: Disclosed is a cleaning apparatus configured to clean a radiation transmission assembly (such as a viewport), or part thereof. The radiation transmission assembly provides for radiation transmission to and/or from a low pressure chamber. The cleaning apparatus comprises, a hydrogen radical generator configured to generate hydrogen radicals for use in cleaning said radiation transmission assembly or part thereof, and a connection assembly for connection to said radiation transmission assembly.

Abstract: A method makes contact with a doping region formed at a substrate surface of a substrate. An insulating layer is applied on the substrate surface and a contact hole is formed in the insulating layer. A metal-containing layer is subsequently deposited on the insulating layer and the surface region of the doping region that is uncovered by the contact hole. In a subsequent thermal process having two steps, first the metal-containing layer is reacted with the silicon of the doping region to form a metal silicide layer and then the rest of the metal-containing layer is converted into a metal-nitride-containing layer in a second thermal step.

Abstract: An antireflection layer, preferably a dielectric antireflection layer, is applied by PECVD to a hard mask layer which is composed of doped silicon oxide, with no interruption of the vacuum. The silicon oxide layer is then patterned to form a hard mask and, by way of example, a deep trench etching is performed. The hard mask is removed using an HF/H2SO4 mixture or using an HF/ethylene glycol (EG) mixture at a high etching rate. If the HF/EG mixture is used, an intermediate layer that may be disposed underneath can simultaneously be etched back by a predetermined amount. The integration of two wet etching steps constitutes a major simplification compared with the previous wet etching methods in two different installations.