Oxide and metal removal

A method of etching metal from a substrate, the method comprising:

• transferring the substrate into a substrate processing region;
• flowing a hydrogen-containing precursor into the substrate processing region while forming a plasma to treat a thin metal oxide layer formed on a metal layer;
• flowing a halogen-containing precursor into the substrate processing region, wherein the substrate processing region is plasma-free during the flowing of the halogen-containing precursor and wherein flowing the halogen-containing precursor occurs after flowing the hydrogen-containing precursor;
• purging the substrate processing region with a relatively inert gas to remove the halogen-containing precursor from the substrate processing region;
• flowing a carbon-and-nitrogen-containing precursor in to the substrate processing region, wherein the substrate processing region is plasma-free during the flowing of the carbon-and-nitrogen-containing precursor and flowing of the carbon-and-nitrogen-containing precursor occurs after purging the substrate processing region;
• removing at least a portion of the metal layer from the substrate;
• and
• removing the substrate from the substrate processing region.