Analysis of the feasibility of producing silicon for solar cells by a dichlorosilane/fluidized-bed reactor process

Technical Report · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5701725· OSTI ID:5701725

Briglio, A. Jr.

An analysis was conducted to evaluate a novel silicon production process based on conversion of dichlorosilane to silicon in fluidized-bed reactors (FBRs). Such a process seemed attractive from an economic point of view. The study is part of the effort being supported by the Flat-Plate Solar Array Project on new processes for making low-cost, high-purity silicon for terrestrial solar cells. It was concluded that the thermodynamics and kinetics should be sufficiently favorable to allow reasonably high values of conversion efficiency of dichlorosilane to silicon and of silicon deposition rate to be attained, and that suitably high product purity should be achievable. The silicon price is expected to be somewhat higher than that for silicon produced by the FBR-based silicon-via-silane process being developed by the Union Carbide Corp. and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Process success will ultimately depend upon finding FBR materials of construction that will withstand the severe corrosive and abrasive environment that is expected to be present.

• Research Organization: Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AI01-76ET20356
• OSTI ID: 5701725
• Report Number(s): DOE/JPL/1012-101; JPL-PUB-84-55; ON: DE85014496
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360601 -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CORROSION
DEPOSITION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ECONOMICS
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDIZED BED REACTORS
FUEL DISPERSION REACTORS
HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SILICON COMPOUNDS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PRODUCTION
REACTION KINETICS
REACTORS
SEMIMETALS
SILANES
SILICON
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT