METALS REMOVAL PROCESS

摘要

A process for removing metallic material, for instance copper, iron, nickle and their oxides, from a surface of a substrate such as a silicon, silicon oxide or gallium arsenide substrate. The process includes the steps of: a) placing the substrate in a reaction chamber; b) providing in the reaction chamber a gas mixture, the mixture comprising a first component which is fluorine or a fluorine-containing compound which will spontaneously dissociate upon adsorption on the substrate surface and a second component which is a halosilane compound, the halosilane, and the fluorine if present, being activated by: i) irradiation with UV; ii) heating to a temperature of about 800 DEG C or higher; or iii) plasma generation, to thereby convert said metallic material to a volatile metal-halogen-silicon compound, and c) removing the metal-halogen-silicon compound from the substrate by volatilization. The process may be used to remove both dispersed metal and bulk metal films or islands.