A method of removing a mask and addressing interfacial carbon chemisbored in a semiconductor wafer starts with placing the semiconductor wafer into a dry strip chamber. The dry stripping process is performed to remove the mask on the semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer is then subjected to a cleaning solution to perform a cleaning process to remove particles on the surface of the semiconductor wafer and to address the interfacial carbon. The cleaning solution being either water containing ozone (O3) and ammonia (NH3), or a solution of hot phosphoric acid (H3PO4).