An etching chamber is equipped with an actively-cooled element preferentially adsorbs volatile compounds that are evolved from a polymeric layer of a wafer during etching, which compounds will act as contaminants if re-deposited on the wafer, for example on exposed metal contact portions where they may interfere with subsequent deposition of metal contact layers. In desirable embodiments, a getter sublimation pump is also provided in the etching chamber as a source of getter material. Methods of etching in such a chamber are also disclosed.