Abstract: In a process of preparing a via in a semiconductor substrate wafer in which vias are landed on tungsten, and in which resist is stripped using plasma or chemical based processes that do not remove the veils formed during the etch, the improvement of concurrently removing veil material, controlling the interface of the tungsten, and stripping the resist, comprising: a) depositing and patterning tungsten on a substrate; b) depositing an oxide as an interlevel dielectric on the tungsten; c) patterning the oxide using photolithography and a photoresist; d) etching the oxide using a plasma generated etching method in which veils made up of metals, carbon based materials and oxide based materials are formed on the tungsten and sidewalls of the vias; and e) stripping the resist using a dry polymer removal method employing process gases and reducing gases to concurrently cause resist stripping, removal of the veils, and control of the tungsten interface.