NOVELTY - The method comprises providing a semiconductor comprising a front side, a metalized back side, and a PN junction, where the front side comprises a pattern of conductive tracks comprising a fired metal paste, depositing a barrier layer on the conductive tracks, contacting the semiconductor with a copper plating bath comprising sources of copper ions, sources of chloride and bromide ions, sources of nitrate ions, sulfate ions and bisulfate ions and a pH of 1.5-4, and plating a copper layer adjacent the barrier layer of the fired metal paste of the conductive tracks.    USE - The method is useful for electroplating metals in pH sensitive applications to plate metal layers on semiconductors that are used in the manufacture of photovoltaic devices and solar cells.    ADVANTAGE - The method is capable of plating the metals on the fired metal paste with minimal or no corrosion of the paste thus preventing adhesion failure between the metal layers and the semiconductor and enhancing the aesthetics of the semiconductor.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The method comprises providing a semiconductor comprising a front side, a metalized back side, and a PN junction, where the front side comprises a pattern of conductive tracks comprising a fired metal paste, depositing a barrier layer on the conductive tracks, contacting the semiconductor with a copper plating bath comprising sources of copper ions, sources of chloride and bromide ions, sources of nitrate ions, sulfate ions and bisulfate ions and a pH of 1.5-4, and plating a copper layer adjacent the barrier layer of the fired metal paste of the conductive tracks. The chloride, bromide or mixtures of chloride and bromide ions is present in an amount of 1-100 ppm. The method further comprises depositing a metal layer adjacent the copper layer from a source comprising a pH of greater than or equal to 2, and depositing an organic solderability preservative adjacent the copper layer from a solution comprising a pH of greater than or equal to 2. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a composition.