Patent ID: 6936153

Claim:
An apparatus for use in electroplating a metal that is principally comprised of a metal X onto a wafer pursuant to fabricating microelectronic components on the wafer, comprising: a reactor adapted to hold an electrolyte; an electrolyte held by the reactor, the electrolyte being formulated to electroplate the metal that is principally comprised of the metal X; a wafer support adapted to support a wafer in a position within the reactor so that at least one surface of the wafer is in contact with the electrolyte during processing; the wafer support including at least one electrode that is electrically conductive and capable of receiving and conducting electrical current supplied thereto; said at least one electrode having a contact face that is adapted to engage a surface of the wafer to conduct electrical current thereto; said contact face engaging the surface of the wafer at a portion of the contact face that has been pre-coated with a metal layer that is principally comprised of the metal X.