Low Cost Solar Array Project: experimental process system development unit for producing semiconductor-grade silicon using the silane-to-silicon process. Quarterly progress report, April-June 1979

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5718713· OSTI ID:5718713

The overall objective of the LSA Silicon Material Task is to establish a chemical process for producing silicon at a rate and price commensurate with the production goals of the LSA project for solar-cell modules. This material must be suitable for utilization in the large-area sheet process and in the automated process for the fabrication of solar cells. As part of the overall Silicon Material Task, Union Carbide developed the silane-silicon process and advanced the technology to the point that it has a definite potential for providing high-purity polysilicon on a commercial scale at a cost of $14/kg by 1986 (1980 dollars). The Phase III program (initiated in April 1979) is aimed at establishing the practicality of the process by pursuing the followng specific objectives: (1) design, fabricate, install, and operate an Experimental Process System Development Unit (EPSDU) sized for 100 MT/Yr to obtain extensive performance data to establish the data base for the design of commercial facilities; (2) perform supporting research and development to provide an information base usable for the EPSDU and for technological design and economic analysis for potential scale-up of the process; and (3) perform iterative economic analyses of the estimated product cost for the production of semiconductor-grade silicon in a facility capable of producing 1000 MT/Yr. The three basic process steps entail converting M-G silicon to trichlorosilane, redistributing the trichlorosilane to produce silane, and thermally decomposing the silane to form polycrystalline silicon powder. The powder is then melted and the molten silicon is cast into rods for subsequent fabrication of solar cells. Technical progress is reported. (WHK)

• Research Organization: Union Carbide Corp., New York (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: NAS-7-100-954334
• OSTI ID: 5718713
• Report Number(s): DOE/JPL/954334-11
• 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 REACTORS
CONTROL
COST
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDIZED BED
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PROCESSING
PRODUCTION
PURIFICATION
QUALITY CONTROL
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SEMIMETALS
SILANES
SILICON
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT