APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING TRICHLOROSILANE, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING TRICHLOROSILANE

• US 20090297708A1
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
• Inventors: Tebakari, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,282,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/255.17
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 33/035 by decomposition or reduction of gaseous or vaporised silicon compounds in the presence of heated filaments of silicon, carbon or a refractory metal, e.g. tantalum or tungsten, or in the presence of heated silicon rods on which the formed silicon is deposited, a silicon rod being obtained, e.g. Siemens process
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 33/10731 with the preferential formation of trichlorosilane
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/24 Deposition of silicon only

Abstract

This apparatus for producing trichlorosilane, includes a reactor provided with gas inlets and gas outlets, a plurality of silicon seed rods held in the reactor, a heating apparatus that is provided in the reactor and heats the silicon seed rods, and a raw material gas supply system that is connected to the gas inlets and capable of selecting and supplying one of a first raw material gas for depositing polycrystalline silicon which contains trichlorosilane and hydrogen gas and a second raw material gas for producing trichlorosilane which contains silicon tetrachloride and hydrogen gas, wherein when the raw material gas supply system supplies the second raw material gas into the reactor, the silicon tetrachloride and hydrogen gas are reacted to produce a reaction product gas containing trichlorosilane.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing trichlorosilane, comprising:

a reactor provided with gas inlets and gas outlets;

a plurality of silicon seed rods held in the reactor;

a heating apparatus that is provided in the reactor and heats the silicon seed rods; and

a raw material gas supply system that is connected to the gas inlets and capable of selecting and supplying one of a first raw material gas for depositing polycrystalline silicon which contains trichlorosilane and hydrogen gas and a second raw material gas for producing trichlorosilane which contains silicon tetrachloride and hydrogen gas,

wherein when the raw material gas supply system supplies the second raw material gas into the reactor, the silicon tetrachloride and hydrogen gas are reacted to produce a reaction product gas containing trichlorosilane.

2. An apparatus for producing trichlorosilane according to claim 1,

wherein the heating apparatus comprises a heater made of carbon that heats the silicon seed rods by radiation heat, and a power supply unit that applies an electric current to the silicon seed rods to generate Joule heat.

3. An apparatus for producing trichlorosilane according to claim 1,

wherein the wall of the reactor has a jacket structure including a jacket and flow passages provided inside the jacket, and a heat medium supply system is connected to the jacket structure to supply a heat medium to the flow passages.

4. A method for producing trichlorosilane comprising:

a step of providing a plurality of silicon seed rods inside a reactor;

a polycrystalline silicon depositing step of heating the silicon seed rods, and supplying a first raw material gas for depositing polycrystalline silicon which contains trichlorosilane and hydrogen gas inside the reactor so as to deposit polycrystalline silicon on the surfaces of the silicon seed rods; and

a subsequent trichlorosilane producing step of switching from the first raw material gas for depositing polycrystalline silicon to a second raw material gas for producing trichlorosilane which contains silicon tetrachloride and hydrogen gas, and supplying the second raw material gas for producing trichlorosilane into the reactor so as to produce a reaction product gas containing trichlorosilane.

5. A method for producing trichlorosilane according to claim 4,

wherein the polycrystalline silicon depositing step and the trichlorosilane producing step are alternately repeated.