For application of copper metallization to silicon solar cells, electrical resistivity of the electroplated Cu was investigated for different annealing conditions: the rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and the vacuum annealing at various temperatures. The characteristics of Ti as the diffusion barrier were also observed. The specific contact resistance between Si and Ti/Cu was measured using Kelvin test pattern. For 8-min electroplated sample, the lowest resistivity of 2.1 muOmega cm was obtained at 300degreesC RTA condition. For Cu with Ti barrier, 400degreesC 2 min vacuum-annealed sample showed etch pits whereas 400degreesC RTA showed no etch pits. A vacuum annealing at 450degreesC for 30 min reduced the specific contact resistance to 7.2 x 10(-6) Omega cm(2). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.