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A semiconductor wafer electroless plating apparatus includes a platen and a fluid bowl. The platen has a top surface defined to support a wafer, and an outer surface extending downward from a periphery of the top surface to a lower surface of the platen. The fluid bowl has an inner volume defined by

A semiconductor wafer electroless plating apparatus includes a platen and a fluid bowl. The platen has a top surface defined to support a wafer, and an outer surface extending downward from a periphery of the top surface to a lower surface of the platen. The fluid bowl has an inner volume defined by an interior surface so as to receive the platen, and wafer to be supported thereon, within the inner volume. A seal is disposed around the interior surface of the fluid bowl so as to form a liquid tight barrier when engaged between the interior surface of the fluid bowl and the outer surface of the platen. A number of fluid dispense nozzles are positioned to dispense electroplating solution within the fluid bowl above the seal so as to rise up and flow over the platen, thereby flowing over the wafer when present on the platen.

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1. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating, comprising: receiving a wafer in a dry state in an upper region of a chamber volume;moving a platen upward from a lower region of the chamber volume to support the wafer as received in the upper region of the chamber volume;moving the platen w

1. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating, comprising: receiving a wafer in a dry state in an upper region of a chamber volume;moving a platen upward from a lower region of the chamber volume to support the wafer as received in the upper region of the chamber volume;moving the platen with the wafer supported thereon downward to the lower region of the chamber volume to a position within a fluid bowl located within the lower region of the chamber volume so as to cause the platen to engage a seal positioned against an interior surface of the fluid bowl; anddispensing an electroless plating solution within a liquid retaining volume defined around the platen and at a location below the wafer and at a location above the seal, wherein the electroless plating solution is dispensed to fill the liquid retaining volume and rise up and flow over a top surface of the wafer in a substantially uniform manner;moving the platen with the wafer supported thereon upward so as to disengage the seal such that the electroless plating solution drains from the liquid retaining volume and such that the electroless plating solution is removed from the top surface of the wafer;holding the platen with the wafer supported thereon at a rinsing position within the fluid bowl;rinsing the top surface of the wafer at the rinsing position within the fluid bowl andmoving the platen with the wafer supported thereon upward from the rinsing position to a wafer handoff and drying position within the upper region of the chamber volume. 2. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 1, further comprising: engaging the wafer with driver rollers and a stabilizer roller at the wafer handoff and drying position. 3. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 2, wherein a peripheral edge of the wafer is engaged by the driver rollers and the stabilizer roller. 4. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 2, further comprising: moving the platen without the wafer supported thereon downward away from the wafer handoff and drying position such that the wafer remains held by the driver rollers and the stabilizer roller in the wafer handoff and drying position. 5. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 4, further comprising: performing a drying process on the wafer while the wafer is held in wafer handoff and drying position within the upper region of the chamber volume. 6. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 5, wherein the drying process is performed on a top surface of the wafer by scanning an upper proximity head over the top surface of the wafer so as to subject the top surface of the wafer to a first dynamic liquid meniscus, and wherein the drying process is performed on a bottom surface of the wafer by scanning a lower proximity head over the bottom surface of the wafer so as to subject the bottom surface of the wafer to a second dynamic liquid meniscus. 7. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 6, further comprising: maintaining the upper proximity head at a position directly above the lower proximity head during the drying process. 8. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 7, further comprising: controlling an ambient condition within the chamber volume so as to minimize an oxygen content within the chamber volume. 9. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 7, further comprising: operating the driver rollers and the stabilizer roller to rotate the wafer during the drying process. 10. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 9, wherein the upper proximity head and the lower proximity head are scanned in a radial direction extending between a periphery of the wafer and a center of the wafer. 11. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 1, wherein dispensing of the electroless plating solution is initiated before moving the platen with the wafer supported thereon downward to the lower region of the chamber volume to engage the seal. 12. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating, comprising: receiving a wafer in a dry state in an upper region of a chamber volume;moving a platen upward from a lower region of the chamber volume to support the wafer as received in the upper region of the chamber volume;moving the platen with the wafer supported thereon downward to the lower region of the chamber volume to a position within a fluid bowl located within the lower region of the chamber volume so as to cause the platen to engage a seal positioned against an interior surface of the fluid bowl; anddispensing an electroless plating solution through a number of fluid nozzles positioned above the seal and below a top surface of the platen when the platen is engaged with the seal, wherein the electroless plating solution is dispensed from the number of fluid nozzles within a space between the interior surface of the fluid bowl and an outer surface of the platen when the platen is engaged with the seal, wherein the space between the interior surface of the fluid bowl and the outer surface of the platen and above the seal is open to a volume overlying the platen. 13. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 12, wherein dispensing of the electroless plating solution is initiated before moving the platen with the wafer supported thereon downward to the lower region of the chamber volume to engage the seal. 14. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 12, wherein the electroless plating solution is dispensed such that the electroless plating solution fills the space between the interior surface of the fluid bowl and the outer surface of the platen when the platen is engaged with the seal and such that the electroless plating solution rises up and over the wafer supported on the platen. 15. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 14, further comprising: moving the platen with the wafer supported thereon upward so as to disengage the seal such that the electroless plating solution is removed from the top surface of the wafer;holding the platen with the wafer supported thereon at a rinsing position within the fluid bowl;rinsing the top surface of the wafer at the rinsing position within the fluid bowl; andmoving the platen with the wafer supported thereon upward from the rinsing position to a wafer handoff and drying position within the upper region of the chamber volume. 16. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 15, further comprising: engaging the wafer with driver rollers and a stabilizer roller at the wafer handoff and drying position. 17. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 16, further comprising: moving the platen without the wafer supported thereon downward away from the wafer handoff and drying position such that the wafer remains held by the driver rollers and the stabilizer roller in the wafer handoff and drying position. 18. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 17, further comprising: performing a drying process on the wafer while the wafer is held in wafer handoff and drying position within the upper region of the chamber volume. 19. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 18, wherein the drying process is performed on a top surface of the wafer by scanning an upper proximity head over the top surface of the wafer so as to subject the top surface of the wafer to a first dynamic liquid meniscus, and wherein the drying process is performed on a bottom surface of the wafer by scanning a lower proximity head over the bottom surface of the wafer so as to subject the bottom surface of the wafer to a second dynamic liquid meniscus. 20. A method for semiconductor wafer electroless plating as recited in claim 19, further comprising: maintaining the upper proximity head at a position directly above the lower proximity head during the drying process.