A
semiconductor processing tool includes: a process chamber containing a
wafer mount configured to hold a
semiconductor wafer; a
roughing pump; a
pipe connecting the
roughing pump to the process chamber; and a hot gas source configured to inject a hot gas into the
pipe connecting the
roughing pump to the process chamber. A method of
semiconductor processing includes rough pumping a process chamber using a roughing pump and, during the rough pumping, injecting a hot gas into a
pipe through which the roughing pump performs the rough pumping of the process chamber. After the rough pumping, semiconductor
wafer processing is performed using the process chamber. During the semiconductor wafer processing, the process chamber is pumped using a high-
vacuum pump backed by the roughing pump.