Methods for reducing metal oxide surfaces to modified metal surfaces using a gaseous reducing environment

A method of preparing a substrate. with a metal seed layer for plating,the method comprising:

• receiving a substrate having the metal seed layer on a plating surface of the substrate, wherein a portion of the metal seed layer has been converted to an oxide of the metal;
• and
• exposing at least the oxide of the metal to a radicalized reducing gas atmosphere, wherein the reducing gas atmosphere comprises radicals of reducing gas species, and wherein exposure to the reducing gas atmosphere reduces the oxide of the metal to the metal in the form of a film integrated with the seed layer;
• cooling the substrate using an active cooling system during exposure to the radicalized reducing gas atmosphere to maintain a substrate temperature below a temperature that produces agglomeration of the metal seed layer;
• transferring the substrate to a plating bath containing a plating solution;
• and
• plating metal onto the metal seed layer using the plating solution.