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, January--March 1978

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

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6523257· OSTI ID:6523257

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

The purpose of the silane production program 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 program is to establish the viability and economic feasibility of manufacturing semiconductor-grade polycrystalline silicon through the pyrolysis of silane. The silane-to-silicon conversion is to be investigated in a fluid bed reactor and a free space reactor. The purpose of the process design program is to provide JPL with engineering and economic parameters for an experimental facility capable of producing 25 metric tons of silicon per year by the pyrolysis of silane gas. An ancillary purpose is to estimate the cost of silicon produced by the same process on a scale of 1000 metric tons per year. The capacitive fluid-bed heating program is exploring the feasibility of utilizing electrical capacitive heating to control the fluidized silicon bed temperature during the heterogeneous decomposition of silane. In addition, a theoretical fluid-bed silicon deposition model is being developed to be used in a design of a fluid-bed pyrolysis process scheme. Research progress is described in detail. (WHK)

• Research Organization: Union Carbide Corp., Tarrytown, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: NAS-7-100-954334
• OSTI ID: 6523257
• Report Number(s): DOE/JPL/954334-6
• 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
ACTIVATION ENERGY
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
COST
CRYSTALS
DECOMPOSITION
DIAGRAMS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
DISTILLATION
ECONOMICS
ELECTRIC HEATING
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FLUIDIZED BED
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEATING
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGENATION
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
KINETICS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
POLYCRYSTALS
PRODUCTION
PYROLYSIS
REACTION KINETICS
SEMIMETALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SILANES
SILICON
SILICON CHLORIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SPECIFICATIONS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
THERMODYNAMICS