A method for structuring a substrate is specified, in particular structuring by means of selective etching in the semiconductor and IC substrate industry, in which the following steps are carried out: providing a substrate, applying a titanium seed layer, full-area coating with a photoresist layer, lithographic structuring of the photoresist layer, in order to expose regions of the titanium seed layer, selectively depositing copper as conductor tracks in those areas in which the titanium seed layer is exposed, removing the structured photoresist, and etching the titanium seed layer in the areas previously covered by the structured photoresist, wherein phosphoric acid is used to etch the titanium seed layer and, in addition, exposure to UV light is carried out during the etching of the titanium.