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Separation of Impurity Iron from Polysilicon by Pulsed Electric Current

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Abstract

The effect of using a pulsed electric current to remove impurity iron from molten polysilicon was investigated. Using optical microscopy observation and area statistics of iron-rich content, it was found that iron tends to accumulate at the bottom of an ingot under the action of a pulsed electric current. A new separation mechanism is proposed, based on the decreased solubility of iron in polysilicon under conditions including a pulsed electric current. Thermodynamic calculations indicate the theoretical possibility of the formation of iron-rich Si clusters. These clusters sink to the bottom of an ingot under the effect of gravity and form iron-rich precipitates with silicon, thereby achieving the iron removal. This technique provides a new method for purification of polysilicon.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (U1860206, 51874023), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Recruitment Program of Global Experts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallurgy, School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, People’s Republic of China

    Shaofei Ren, Longge Yan & Xinfang Zhang

  2. Science and Technology on Reactor Fuel and Materials Laboratory, Nuclear Power Institute of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, People’s Republic of China

    Hui Wang

  3. Beijing Key Lab of Printing & Packaging Materials and Technology, Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, Beijing, 102600, People’s Republic of China

    Yabo Fu

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  1. Shaofei Ren
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  2. Longge Yan
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Correspondence to Xinfang Zhang or Yabo Fu.

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Ren, S., Yan, L., Zhang, X. et al. Separation of Impurity Iron from Polysilicon by Pulsed Electric Current. JOM 72, 4101–4108 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-020-04265-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-020-04265-7

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