Patent ID: 7563380

Claim:
A method of removing metal oxides from a treating surface of a substrate, the method comprising: providing the substrate, an electrode assembly, and a base electrode which reside within a target area wherein the electrode assembly comprises: a housing that is at least partially comprised of an insulating material, having an internal volume and at least one fluid inlet in fluid communication with the internal volume; and a conductive base resides at the bottom of the housing and connected to the housing comprising a plurality of conductive acicular tips that extend therefrom into the target area and a plurality of perforations that extend through the conductive base and are in fluid communication with the internal volume; wherein the base electrode is proximal to the electrode assembly and the substrate; passing a gas mixture comprising a reducing gas through the at least one fluid inlet to the internal volume; passing the gas mixture from the internal volume through the plurality of perforations to the target area; supplying energy to the electrode assembly to generate electrons to the target area; attaching at least a portion of the electrons to at least a portion of the reducing gas thereby forming a negatively charged reducing gas within the target area; contacting the treating surface with the negatively charged reducing gas to reduce the metal oxides on the treating surface of the substrate; wherein the method is performed in the absence of a vacuum.