Si Processing

introduction
In 1953 developed the first silicon cell
This cells uses in application spacecraft (standard
technology)

Development to supply cells for communication satellites

And other space craft.

In 1973,start applying solar cell in renewable energy

resources, with some change in standard technology.
 The standard technology stages for
making cells
1. Reduction of sand to metallurgical-grade
silicon.
2. Purification of MG-Si to semiconductor grade
silicon.
3. Conversion of semiconductor grad silicon to
single crystal silicon wafers.
4. Processing of single-crystal silicon wafer into
solar cells.
1-Sand to metallurgical-grad silicon
Silicon is the most abundant element in the
earths crust.

The source material for the extraction of silicon

is silicon dioxide the major constituent of sand.

We will extract the Si by reduced crystalline form

of silicon dioxide in large arc furnace.
Produce MG-Si in this furnace by carbon (in
the form of mixture of wood chips, coke,
and coal) according this reaction
SiO2(s)+C(s)-----------Si(l)+CO2 (g)

Solidification

MG-Si (metallurgical grade silicon)

Then silicon is periodically poured from
the furnace and blown with O/chlorine
mixture to further purify it.

Next poured into shallow troughs,

where it solidifies and is subsequently
broken into chunks
 Characteristic
1 million metric tons of this MG-si are produce
globally each year (large production).

Use MG-Si in the steel and aluminum industries.

The total processing energy requirement are

acceptable.

The result the MG-Si is inexpensive.

99% pure with the major impurities being iron

and aluminum
 2-MG-silicon to semiconductor-
grade silicon
For use in solar cells as well as other
semiconductor devices, silicon must be much
purer than MG-Si.

The standard process to purifying its known

siemens process
 Siemens process
The MG-Si is converted to a volatile compound
that is condensed and refined by fractional
distillation
Ultra pure silicon is then extracted from this
refined product.
Abed of fine MG-Si particle is fluidized with HCl
in the presence of a Cu catalyst.
MG-Si(s) +3HCl(l) --SiHCl3(g) +H2(g)

Condenser and

distillations
fractional
multiple
SeG-
SiHCl3 (l)
The gases emitted are passed through a
condenser and the resulting liquid
subjected to multiple fractional distillation
to produce SeG-SiHCl3 (trichlorosilane),
the source material for the silicon industry.
Then extract SeG-Si, the SeG-SiCHl3 is
reduced by hydrogen when mixture of the
gases are heated. Silicon is deposited in
fine-grained polycrystalline from onto an
electrically heated silicon rod.
SeG-SiHCl3(g) +H2SeG-Si(s) + 3HCl

Polycrystalline
Semiconductor-
Grade Silicon
 Characteristics
Requirement a lot of energy.
Low yield ~37%
The high cost of this stage.
Reach to purity 99.9999%
3-semiconductor –grade poly crystalline
to single-crystal wafers
Silicon must very pure and be in a single-
crystal form with essentially zero defect in
the crystal structure.
The major method used to produce such
material commercially is the
Czochralski process
 Czochralski process
The SeG polycrystalline silicon is melted in
crucible with trace levels of one of the dopants
required in the completed device added ,
Using a seed crystal
and with very close
temperature control,
it is possible to pull
from the melt.
a large cylindrical single
crystal of silicon, of
diameter in excess of
12.5 cm and
1-2m in length are
routinely grown in this
manner.
 Then the large single
crystal is sliced up into
wafers which are as
thin as possible
(Silicon solar cells need
only be 300μm or so
thick to absorb most of
the appropriate
wavelength in sunlight)