# US 10,246,781 B2 · Method for removing a metal deposit placed on a surface in a chamber > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,246,781 B2 - Document ID: US10246781B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/328,413 - Filed: 2015-07-24 - Published: 2017-07-20 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-24 - Applicants: Kobus - Inventors: Julien Vitiello; Jean-Luc Delcarri; Fabien Piallat - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10246781B2 ## CPC - C23F 1/00: Etching metallic material by chemical means (manufacture of printing surfaces B41C; manufacture of printed circuits H05K) - C07C 45/00: Preparation of compounds having >C = O groups bound only to carbon or hydrogen atoms; Preparation of chelates of such compounds - C07C 49/167: containing only fluorine as halogen - C23C 14/564: {Means for minimising impurities in the coating chamber such as dust, moisture, residual gases} - C23C 16/4405: {Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases} - C23G 5/00: Cleaning or de-greasing metallic material by other methods; Apparatus for cleaning or de-greasing metallic material with organic solvents - H01J 37/32862: {In situ cleaning of vessels and/or internal parts} - C23F: NON-MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF METALLIC MATERIAL FROM SURFACE (working metal by laser beams B23K26/00; desurfacing by applying flames B23K7/00; working of metal by electro-erosion B23H; producing decorative effects by removing surface material, e.g. by engraving, by etching, B44C1/22; electrolytic etching or polishing C25F); INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL; MULTI-STEP PROCESSES FOR SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL INVOLVING AT LEAST ONE PROCESS PROVIDED FOR IN CLASS C23 AND AT LEAST ONE PROCESS COVERED BY SUBCLASS C21D OR C22F OR CLASS C25 - C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - C23G: CLEANING OR DE-GREASING OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY CHEMICAL METHODS OTHER THAN ELECTROLYSIS - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A method for removing a metallic deposit disposed on a surface in a chamber, including the following steps: a) a step of oxidizing the metallic deposit; b) a step of injecting chemical species adapted to volatilized the oxidized metallic deposit, the step b) being implemented during at least a part of step a); and in step b), the chemical species are injected according to a sequence of pulses. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for removing a copper deposit disposed on a surface in an enclosure, said method comprising the following steps: a. a step of flowing oxidizing species capable of oxidizing the copper deposit; and b. a step of flowing chemical species capable of volatilizing the oxidized copper deposit, said step b) being implemented during at least a part of said step a); and in step b), the chemical species are flowing according to a sequence of pulses; wherein during a first pulse of the sequence of pulses the oxidation of said step a) becomes a minority reaction and the oxidized copper deposit is volatized by the chemical species flowing in said step b); and wherein once said first pulse of the sequence of pulses has ended, the oxidation of the copper deposit is a dominant reaction until a next pulse of the sequence of pulses of said step b). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein in step b), during a latest pulse of two successive pulses, the chemical species are flowing in a sub-stoichiometric quantity with respect to a quantity of the oxidized copper deposit between said two successive pulses. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the duration of the pulses of the sequence of pulses is set so that the layer of the oxidized copper deposit is not entirely oxidized. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein two successive pulses are separated by a time interval during which no chemical species adapted to volatize the oxidized copper deposit is injected. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the chemical species flowing in step b) comprise hexafluoroacetylacetone. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first pulse of step b) is implemented after the start of step a). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is implemented for cleaning off copper residues disposed on the inner walls of a deposition chamber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is implemented for etching a copper deposit deposited in excess on a surface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein before steps a) and b), a mask is affixed in a localized manner onto the copper deposit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, further comprising the following steps: the mask is affixed over each region of the copper deposit to be retained; steps a) and b) are implemented in order to remove the excess copper deposit in each region not covered by the mask. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, further comprising the following steps: the mask is affixed over each region of the copper deposit to be etched; flowing chemical species adapted to passivate the copper deposit in each region not covered by the mask; the mask is removed; and steps a) and b) are implemented in order to remove the excess copper deposit in each region covered beforehand by the mask. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein steps a) and b) are repeated as many times as necessary in order to remove the excess copper deposit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the oxidizing species consisting of a gaseous source. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the oxidizing species are continuously flowing throughout the removal of the copper deposit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the oxidizing species are flowing at a constant flow rate throughout the removal of the copper deposit.