Patent ID: 6083413
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: B08B,C23F,H01L

Abstract:
A process for removing metallic material from a surface of a substrate, the metallic material being selected from the group consisting of Group 4-13 elements and oxidized compounds thereof, the process comprising the steps of:a) placing the substrate in a reaction chamber;b) while maintaining the substrate at a temperature of not more than 250.degree. C., providing in the reaction chamber:i) a reactive halogen component comprising a fluorine-containing compound which will spontaneously dissociate upon adsorption on the substrate surface, a neutral monoatomic fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine species, or a mixture thereof, andii) a gas-phase reactive silicon-containing species which is an activated halosilyl radical, a vibrationally excited silicon compound or a neutral silicon compound having an unfiled orbital on the silicon atom thereof,to thereby convert said metallic material to a volatile metal-halogen-silicon compound; andc) removing the metal-halogen-silicon compound from the substrate by volatiliation.