to deposit the metal layer also unstable treatment solutions such cobalt need not be employed to enhance the metal deposits on the dielectric substrate preferably the dielectric substrate is first treated with an etchant solution that can provide a chemically and physically modified surface that is optimized for subsequent conditioning and plating such materials typically contain a strong oxidant and include the acidic compositions discussed above as well as alkali permanganate compositions treatment compositions employed in accordance with the invention may be applied to a dielectric substrate by a variety of methods including by spray application as well as immersion a treatment composition is typically applied as a solution to a substrate a variety of bismuth compositions may be employed in accordance with the invention a trivalent bismuth species is particularly preferred both inorganic and organic bismuth materials are suitably employed such as bi no 3 3 bicl 3 or bi ch 3 coo 3 those bismuth compositions are preferably present in an acidic aqueous solution such as a hcl hno 3 or acetic acid solution the solution may contain relatively small amount of the bismuth material e g the solution may suitably be from 0 0001 to about 1 molar in bismuth ions preferably a bismuth ion concentration of about 0 005 to about 0 5 molar even more preferably a bismuth ion concentration of about 0 005 to about 0 3 molar.