a process and apparatus for advanced semiconductor applications which involves the selective electrodeposition of metal on a semiconductor wafer is described . the present invention has significant economic and performance advantages over the current state of the art . it addresses problems associated with cleanliness , metal thickness uniformity , step coverage and environmental concerns . a metal with better device performance capabilities compared to the standard aluminum is also employed . the hardware allows the selective deposition to occur without allowing the electrolyte to contact the rear of the wafer or the electrodes contacting the front wafer surface . a virtual anode improves the primary current distribution improving the thickness uniformity while allowing optimization of other film parameters with the remaining deposition variables . using this process and the associated hardware , metal lines are selectively deposited with contacts or vias completely filled without the need for plasma etching the deposited metal .