Low cost silicon solar array project, silicon materials task. Establishment of the feasibility of a process capable of low-cost, high-volume production of silane (Step I) and the pyrolysis of silane to semiconductor-grade silicon (Step II). Quarterly progress report, October--December 1977. [Silicon tetrachlorides]
Kinetics and equilibria for the hydrogenation of silicon tetrachloride have shown that conversion to trichlorosilane is substantially increased at higher operating pressures; these results greatly improve the practicality of the overall process. An integrated process development unit for converting metallurgical silicon and hydrogen to high-purity silane has been commissioned. A quartz fluid-bed reactor capable of operating at temperatures of up to 1000/sup 0/C was designed, constructed, and successfully operated. A total of 6.7 Kg of silicon powder was produced in two separate experiments in the free-space reactor without opening the reactor between experiments. No measurable impurities were detected in the silicon powder produced by the free-space reactor, using the cathode layer emission spectroscopic technique. A 152 mm-diameter melt consolidation apparatus was attached to the free-space reactor. The first objective for the overall process was the definition of a preliminary set of functional specifications. All process design efforts are based on these specifications. Preliminary block flow diagrams and heat and material balances for every battery-limit stream were completed for the 25 MT/year experimental facility. A brief parametric study was conducted to select an optimum range of operating pressures for the distillation columns. Conceptual designs have been initiated for the hydrogenation reactor, the free-space reactor, and the consolidation system.
- Research Organization:
- Union Carbide Corp., Tarrytown, NY (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- NAS-7-100-954334
- OSTI ID:
- 6602475
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/JPL/954334-5
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Establishment of the feasibility of a process capable of low-cost, high-volume production of silane (Step I) and the pyrolysis of silane to semiconductor-grade silicon (Step II). Low Cost Silicon Solar Array Project, Silicon Materials Task. Quarterly progress report, July--September 1977
Establishment of the feasibility of a process capable of low cost, high volume production of silane, SiH/sub 4/. Low cost silicon solar array project, Task I. Quarterly progress report, October 1, 1976--December 31, 1976
Related Subjects
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360601 -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
ADSORPTION
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CORROSION
DECOMPOSITION
DESIGN
DIAGRAMS
DISTILLATION
ELEMENTS
FLUIDIZED BED
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGENATION
IMPURITIES
KINETICS
PRODUCTION
PYROLYSIS
REACTION KINETICS
SEMIMETALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SILANES
SILICON
SILICON CHLORIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SORPTION
SPECIFICATIONS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES