A particle removal system based on the properties of charged particles suspended in a plasma for use in controlling, particle contamination during the preparation of silicon dioxide thin films in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor is described. Since the particles suspended in the plasma carry a negative charge, the application of a positive bias to a metal tube inserted into the plasma would attract negatively charged particles. The system effectively removes particles from the trap regions during operation of the plasma. Even particles as small as about 10 nm in size can be removed using this method. Films prepared using the installed particle removal system were found to be nearly free from particle contamination. This is different from the case when the particle removal system is not installed, where some particles are deposited on the film. Even though the particle removal system reduces the rate of film growth by about 40%, it is offset by the resulting clean film, which is free from particle contamination. © 2005 American Vacuum Society.