Method and apparatus for producing granular silicon

摘要

Silicon granules are produced by chemical vapor deposition on seed particles inside a chamber within a fluidized bed reactor. The chamber contains an obstructing member, or bubble breaker, which is sized and shaped to restrict the growth of bubbles inside the chamber and which has interior passageways through which a heated fluid passes to transfer heat to gas inside the chamber.

主权项

1. A method for producing granular silicon by thermal decomposition of a gas containing silicon, the method comprising:
passing a silicon-bearing gas upwardly through a fluidized bed of silicon particles inside a chamber within a reactor to deposit silicon from the silicon-bearing gas onto the particles; providing an obstructing member that is positioned within the chamber, that hangs down from a top head of the reactor, that is configured to break up gas bubbles in the fluidized bed, and that comprises one or more conduits defining one or more passageways; passing heated hydrogen through the one or more passageways at a temperature sufficient to transfer heat to the bed; reheating hydrogen leaving the one or more passageways; and injecting the reheated hydrogen into the chamber.