We report the comparison between two wet cleaning tools used for "HF-last" before epitaxy. The batch tool is more efficient in removing SiO(2) than the Single Wafer tool. We also show that a longer HF dispense time and a lower HF concentration are preferable. Then we saw that an in-situ H(2) bake before epitaxy is mandatory for a low defect epitaxy (0.08 defects cm(-2)). SIMS profiles revealed that increasing the temperature and decreasing the pressure helps to get rid of Oxygen at the growth interface. A 775 degrees C H(2) bake at 20 Torr for 1 min is a minimum to reach a high quality epitaxy. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.