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A method of fabricating substrates, e.g., bulk wafers, silicon on insulator wafers, silicon on saphire, optoelectronic substrates. The method includes providing a substrate (e.g., silicon, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, quartz). The substrate has a film characterized by a non-uniform surface, wh

A method of fabricating substrates, e.g., bulk wafers, silicon on insulator wafers, silicon on saphire, optoelectronic substrates. The method includes providing a substrate (e.g., silicon, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, quartz). The substrate has a film characterized by a non-uniform surface, which includes a plurality of defects. At least some of the defects are of a size ranging from about 100 Angstroms and greater. The method also includes applying a combination of a deposition species for deposition of a deposition material and an etching species for etching etchable material. The combination of the deposition species and the etching species contact the non-uniform surface in a thermal setting to reduce a level of non-uniformity of the non-uniform surface by filling a portion of the defects to smooth the film of material. The smoothed film of material is substantially free from the defects and is characterized by a surface roughness of a predetermined value.

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1. A method of fabricating substrates, the method comprising:providing a substrate comprising a film of material characterized by a non-uniform surface, the non-uniform surface including a plurality of defects, at least some of the defects being of a size ranging from about 100 Angstroms and greater

1. A method of fabricating substrates, the method comprising:providing a substrate comprising a film of material characterized by a non-uniform surface, the non-uniform surface including a plurality of defects, at least some of the defects being of a size ranging from about 100 Angstroms and greater; andapplying a combination of a deposition species for deposition of a deposition material and an etching species for etching an etchable material during a portion of time that the non-uniform surface is subjected to the etching, the combination of the deposition species and the etching species contacting the non-uniform surface in a thermal setting to reduce a level of non-uniformity of the non-uniform surface by filling a portion of the defects to smooth the film of material, the film of material being substantially free from the defects and being characterized by a surface roughness of a predetermined value.2. The method of claim 1 wherein said thermal setting increases a temperature of said non-uniform surface to about 1,000 Degrees Celsius and greater.3. The method of claim 2 wherein said temperature increases is about 10 Degrees Celsius per second and greater.4. The method of claim 2 wherein said temperature increases is about 20 Degrees Celsius per second and greater.5. The method of claim 1 wherein said non-uniform surface comprises a plurality of particles therein, the particles comprising a hydrogen bearing species.6. The method of claim 5 wherein said plurality of particles are derived from hydrogen gas during an implantation process.7. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined value is less than about two nanometers root mean square.8. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined value is less than about 1 nanometers root mean square.9. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined value is less than about 0.1 nanometer root mean square.10. The method of claim 1 wherein said etching species comprise a hydrogen bearing compound.11. The method of claim 1 wherein said etching species comprise a halogen bearing compound.12. The method of claim 1 wherein said etching species comprise a fluorine bearing compound.13. The method of claim 12 wherein said fluorine bearing compound is selected from SF6, CF4, NF3, and CCl2F2.14. The method of claim 1 wherein said deposition species comprise a silane bearing gas.15. The method of claim 1 wherein said deposition species comprise a silicon bearing species.16. The method of claim 1 wherein said deposition species comprise a species selected from SiH4, SixClyHz, and SiClx.17. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-uniform surface is a cleaved surface, the cleaved surface being made from a process selected from a controlled cleaving action, a Smart Cut™ process, or an ELTRAN™ process.18. The method of claim 1 wherein the defects are called HF defects.19. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a silicon substrate having a single crystal orientation.20. A method of fabricating substrates, the method comprisingproviding a substrate comprising a film of material with a non-uniform surface, the non-uniform surface including a plurality of defects, at least some of the defects being 100 Angstroms or greater; andapplying simultaneously to the non-uniform surface in a thermal setting a combination of a silicon-containing-deposition species for deposition of a deposition material and a halogen-containing-etching species for etching an etchable material in order to smooth the surface.21. The method of claim 20, wherein the thermal setting is a temperature of about 1,000 degrees Celsius or greater.22. A method of fabricating substrates, the method comprisingproviding a silicon substrate comprising a film of material with a non-uniform surface, the non-uniform surface including a plurality of defects, at least some of the defects being 100 Angstroms or greater, the silicon substrate having a single crystal orientation, the non-uniform surface including particles derived from hydrogen gas during an implantation process; andapplying simultaneously to the non-uniform surface a combination of a silicon-containing-deposition species for deposition of a deposition material and a halogen-containing-etching species for etching an etchable material in order to smooth and reduce a level of non-uniformity of the non-uniform surface, the halogen-containing-etching species including HCl,wherein the combination of the deposition species and the etching species are contacting the non-uniform surface placed in a thermal setting of a temperature of about 1,000 degrees Celsius or greater.23. A method of claim 1 wherein the etching species is gaseous HCl.