receiving a substrate having the metal film exposed on a surface of the substrate, wherein the native oxide is formed on the surface of the metal film;

exposing the surface of the substrate to a dissolution solution comprising a ligand dissolved in a non-aqueous solvent, wherein the ligand complexes with the native oxide to form a ligand-metal complex, which is soluble within and selectively dissolved by the non-aqueous solvent; and

rinsing the substrate with a second non-aqueous solvent to remove the dissolution solution and the ligand-metal complex from the surface of the substrate, thereby leaving a metallic surface or a ligand-bound passivating monolayer on the metal film.