The electroplating of Ag without a seed layer on a highly resistive TiN substrate was investigated. The Ag particles deposited by a displacement reaction were used to increase the initial nucleation density. The electroplated Ag film on a Pd-Ag-activated TiN surface showed a continuous morphology with good adhesion and high conductivity, while a continuous film was not obtained on the nonactivated surface. Consecutive Ag activation following Pd activation resulted in higher density Ag clusters with good uniformity, in addition to better film adhesion than in the cases of either Pd or Ag activation. The high-density Ag particles generated played a part in enlarging the centers and provided an electron-transfer path. After annealing in a N-2 ambient, a pure Ag film with a thickness of 160 nm was present which had a resistivity of 2.16 mu Omega cm. This is comparable to the value of an Ag film electroplated on a sputtered seed layer. (c) 2007 The Electrochemical Society.