Patent ID: 6861097

Claim:
A process for metal deposition comprising: (a) providing an aqueous solution comprising one or more metal activator species; (b) contacting a part to be plated with the solution comprising one or more metal activator species, wherein the one or more metal activator species are oxidized to generate hydroxyl species; (c) etching the part with reactive hydroxyl species generated from water as a result of presence of the metal activator species in the aqueous solution; (d) contacting the part with a solution of reducing agent capable of reducing the metal activator species; and (e) metal plating the part by contact with an electroless plating solution; wherein the metal activator species is one or more agents chosen from silver (II), cobalt (III), ruthenium (V), (VI), (VII), (VIII), cerium (III) or (IV), iron (I)) or (III), manganese (IV or higher), rhodium (IV) or vanadium (IV) or (V).