The excitation of the triplet exciton leading to the "long-lived" photoluminescence characteristic of a porous silicon (PS) surface has bran used to selectively enhance the highly efficient, controlled, and patterned plating of copper and silver metal from electroless solutions. The basis of this method lies in the use of the "long-lived" excited state to promote an enhanced reduction at the PS surface. Excited fluorophors, created at the PS surface, using a Xe are lamp or HeNe laser, exhibit an interaction and reduction capability absent without optical pumping. The thickness of the metal deposit is proportional to the time and intensity of exposure and the contact resistance can be made less than 500 Omega.