A method of treating a dielectric surface portion of a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate having a dielectric surface portion; and then (b) treating said dielectric surface portion with a coating reagent, the coating reagent comprising a reactive group coupled to a coordinating group, with the coordinating group having a metal bound thereto, so that the metal is deposited on the dielectric surface portion to produce a surface portion treated with a metal.