# US 7,744,771 B2 · Method for removing protective film on article > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,744,771 B2 - Document ID: US7744771B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/309,810 - Filed: 2006-10-02 - Published: 2007-06-07 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2005-12-02 - Assignees: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Bor-Yuan Hsiao; Ching-Chou Chang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7744771B2 ## CPC - C23G 5/00: Cleaning or de-greasing metallic material by other methods; Apparatus for cleaning or de-greasing metallic material with organic solvents - C23G: CLEANING OR DE-GREASING OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY CHEMICAL METHODS OTHER THAN ELECTROLYSIS ## Abstract A method for removing a protective film from a surface of an article is provided. The protective film includes a primary protective layer (e.g., a diamond-like carbon layer) and a transition layer, the transition layer being formed directly upon the surface of the article and thereby facilitating an attachment/bond of the protective film to the article. The method includes the step of: disposing/placing the article having the protective film in a reaction chamber; bombarding the protective film (especially, the primary protective layer) with oxidative plasma beams along an edge portion of the protective film, the bombarding occurring until the transition layer in particular is exposed; and bombarding the transition layer with oxidative plasma beams to damage a configuration of the transition layer, thereby making it possible to remove the protective film. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for removing a protective film from a surface of an article, the protective film comprising a main protective layer and a transition layer, the transition layer being adjacent to the surface of the article and facilitating an attachment between the main protective layer and the surface of the article, said method comprising: disposing the article having the protective film thereon in a reaction chamber; bombarding the main protective layer with oxidative plasma beams, the oxidative plasma beams being directed upon an edge portion of the main protective layer until an edge portion of the transition layer in particular is exposed; bombarding the transition layer at the exposed edge portion thereof with oxidative plasma beams to damage a configuration of the transition layer; and removing the transition layer together with the main protective layer, thereby removing the entire protective film. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oxidative plasma beams are at least one of oxygen plasma beams and ozone plasma beams. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising pumping out the air of the reaction chamber at least one of before and during the bombarding of the edge portion of the main protective layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising exporting a generated gas out from the reaction chamber during at least one of the bombarding of the edge portion of the main protective layer and the bombarding of the transition layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a vacuum degree of the reaction chamber during at least one of the bombarding of the edge portion of the main protective layer and the bombarding of the transition layer is maintained in a range from about 0.00133 Pa to about 1.33 Pa. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oxidative plasma beams are provided by an oxidative plasma source, and the oxidative plasma source and the article are movable and rotatable relative to each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transition layer comprises an adhesive metal layer adjacent to the surface of the article and facilitating the attachment between the main protective layer and the surface of the article. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein bombarding the transition layer comprises bombarding the adhesive metal layer to damage a configuration of the adhesive metal layer, and removing the transition layer together with the main protective film comprises removing the adhesive metal layer together with the main protective film, thereby removing the entire protective film. ### Claim 9 A method for removing a protective film from a surface of an article, the protective film comprising an adhesive metal layer, a metal nitride layer, a metal carbide layer and a diamond-like carbon layer formed on the surface of the article in series, the adhesive metal layer being directly bonded to the surface of the article, said method comprising: disposing the article having the protective film thereon in a reaction chamber; bombarding the protective film with oxidative plasma beams, the oxidative plasma beams being directed upon an edge portion of the protective film until the adhesive metal layer in particular is exposed; and bombarding the adhesive metal layer, thereby facilitating the detachment thereof and, thus, the other layers of the protective film from the substrate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the oxidative plasma beams are provided by an oxidative plasma source, and the oxidative plasma source and the article are movable and rotatable relative to each other. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein a configuration of the adhesive metal layer is damaged by the bombarding of the adhesive metal layer. ### Claim 12 A method for removing a protective film from a surface of an article, the protective film comprising a main protective layer and a transition layer, the transition layer facilitating an attachment between the main protective layer and the surface of the article and being more susceptible to be damaged by oxidative plasma bombardment than the main protective layer, said method comprising: disposing the article having the protective film thereon in a reaction chamber; directing oxidative plasma beams of an oxidative plasma source to a lateral side thin edge portion of the main protective layer to expose a lateral side thin edge portion of the transition layer; bombarding the lateral side thin edge portion of the transition layer with oxidative plasma beams of the oxidative plasma source to damage a configuration of the lateral side thin edge portion of the transition layer; and removing the transition layer together with the main protective layer, thereby removing the entire protective film. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the transition layer comprises an adhesive metal layer adjacent to the surface of the article and facilitating the attachment between the main protective layer and the surface of the article.