Abstract
After a comprehensive review of the bibliography on the production of solar grade silicon by various methods and starting from various raw materials, we develop the thermodynamic calculations of the reduction (with hydrogen or sodium) and of the pyrolysis of SiO2, SiCl4, SiF4, SiH4, and SiHCl3. For temperatures varying from 1000 to 6000 K at atmospheric pressure or at 10−2 atm, we present the corresponding composition diagrams together with the corresponding calculated reduction rates and conversion to silicon and the enthalpies required to heat the various mixtures considered up to 6000 K. As a conclusion we attempt to define, through our calculations, in connection with the prices of the raw materials and with the few experiments developed for the production of silicon under plasma conditions, the best raw materials for treatment by plasma to obtain silicon: SiH4 is probably best for obtaining high-purity silicon, and SiCl4 the cheapest.
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Mexmain, J.M., Morvan, D., Bourdin, E. et al. Thermodynamic study of the ways of preparing silicon, and its application to the preparation of photovoltaic silicon by the plasma technique. Plasma Chem Plasma Process 3, 393–420 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00564627
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00564627