Method of enabling selective area plating on a substrate

A method of enabling selective area plating on a substrate, the method comprising:

• forming a first electrically conductive layer over substantially all of the substrate;
• covering sections of the first electrically conductive layer with a mask such that the first electrically conductive layer has a masked portion and an unmasked portion;
• partially oxidizing the first electrically conductive layer in order to form a black oxide layer in a region of the first electrically conductive layer;
• and
• patterning the substrate in order to form a feature therein, the feature extending through the black oxide layer and the first electrically conductive layer;
• forming a second electrically conductive layer, the second electrically conductive layer forming only over the unmasked portion of the first electrically conductive layer;
• and
• removing the mask and the masked portion of the first electrically conductive layer.