Feasibility of low-cost, high-volume production of silane and pyrolysis of silane to semiconductor-grade silicon. Low cost silicon solar array project. Quarterly progress report for July--September 1978

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6035381· OSTI ID:6035381

Breneman, W C; Farrier, E G; Morihara, H

The project is divided into four tasks: silane production, silicon production, process design, and fluid-bed pyrolysis R and D. The purpose of the silane production task is to determine the feasibility and practicality of high-volume, low-cost production of silane (SiH/sub 4/) as an intermediate for obtaining solar-grade silicon metal. The process is based on the synthesis of SiH/sub 4/ by the catalytic disproportionation of chlorosilanes resulting from the reaction of hydrogen, metallurgical silicon, and silicon tetrachloride. The goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of a silane production cost of under $4.00/kg at a production rate of 1000 MT/year. The objective of the silicon production task is to establish the feasibility and cost of manufacturing semi-conductor grade polycrystalline silicon through the pyrolysis of silane (SiH/sub 4/). The silane-to-silicon conversion is to be investigated in a fluid bed reactor and in a free-space reactor. The process design task is to provide JPL with engineering and economic parameters for an experimental unit sized for 25 metric tons of silicon per year and a product-cost estimate for silicon produced on a scale of 1000 metric tons per year. The purpose of fluid-bed pyrolysis task is to explore the feasibility of using electrical capacitive heating to control the fluidized silicon-bed temperature during the heterogeneous decomposition of silane and to further explore the behavior of a fluid bed. These basic studies will form part of the information necessary to assess technical feasibility of the fluid-bed pyrolysis of silane. Status of these tasks are reported. (WHK)

• Research Organization: Union Carbide Corp., Tarrytown, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: NAS-7-100-954334
• OSTI ID: 6035381
• Report Number(s): DOE/JPL/954334-8
• 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 REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DECOMPOSITION
DESIGN
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
FLUIDIZED BED
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGENATION
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PROCESS DEVELOPMENT UNITS
PROCESSING
PRODUCTION
PYROLYSIS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SEMIMETALS
SILANES
SILICON
SILICON CHLORIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES