We have developed a method to remove Fe contaminants from SiO2 bulk layers using a technique in which poly-Si is first deposited on a Si wafer surface and then etched off. The poly-Si layer was formed by chemical Vapor deposition (CVD) on an SiO2 surface intentionally contaminated with Fe. The poly-Si was etched with Cl radicals generated by ultraviolet irradiation, a process called UV/Cl-2. Fe concentration in the SiO2 that was exposed after etching decreased by two orders of magnitude from the original contamination level of 10(12) atom/cm(2). Fe concentration in the Si substrate remained unchanged after the poly-Si CVD and UV/Cl-2 processes. The Fe removal results are independent of the thickness of poly-Si when between 50 and 400 nm and are also independent of either the presence or absence of phosphorous doping in the poly-Si. We surmised that if poly-Si deposited on an SiO2 surface can remove the Fe in the SiO2 completely, then Fe in the poly-Si will vaporize to form Fe chloride having a high vapor pressure while the Cl radicals etch the poly-Si.