A process for manufacturing silicon wafers that reduces the size of silicon
wafer surface and/or sub-surface defects without the forming excessive
haze. The process entails cleaning the front surface of the silicon wafer
at a temperature of at least about 1100.degree. C. by exposing the front
surface to a cleaning ambient comprising H.sub.2, HF gas, or HCl gas to
remove silicon oxide from the front surface and exposing the cleaned front
surface of the silicon wafer at a temperature of at least about
1100.degree. C. to a vacuum or an annealing ambient consisting essentially
of a mono-atomic noble gas selected from the group consisting of He, Ne,
Ar, Kr, and Xe to facilitate the migration of silicon atoms to the exposed
agglomerated defects without substantially etching silicon from the front
surface of the heated silicon wafer.
