Chemical Vapor Deposition Model of Polysilicon in a Trichlorosilane and Hydrogen System

Abstract

The traditional polysilicon processes should be refined when addressing the low energy consumption requirement for the production of solar grade silicon. This paper addresses the fluid dynamic conditions required to deposit polysilicon in the traditional Siemens reactor. Analytical solutions for the deposition process are presented, providing information on maximizing the rate between the amount of polysilicon obtained and the energy consumed during the deposition process. The growth rate, deposition efficiency, and power-loss dependence on the gas velocity, the mixture of gas composition, the reactor pressure, and the surface temperature have been analyzed. The analytical solutions have been compared to experimental data and computational solutions presented in the literature. At atmospheric pressure, the molar fraction of hydrogen at the inlet should be adjusted to the range of 0.85–0.90, the gas inlet temperature should be raised within the interval of 673 and 773 K, and the gas velocity should reach the Reynolds number 800. The resultant growth rate will be between 6 and 6.5 _m min−1. Operation above atmospheric pressure is strongly recommended to achieve growth rates of 20 _m min−1 at 6 atm.