Low cost processes for solar-grade silicon

Upgrading metallurgical grade silicon is being pursued in four associated areas in order to improve the purity of the normally 98% material. The first two work areas involve purification of raw materials entering the process in addition to upgrading the arc furnace itself. The second two areas of process upgrading comprise improving the purity of the silicon after it leaves the arc furnace by reactive gas blowing and unidirectional freezing. The best cell produced to date was fabricated from MG-Si that had been blown with an O2-Cl2 mixture, unidirectionally solidified, and 6-float-zone passed (to determine a base boron level of 0.04 ohm/cm). The cell showed a 10.7% AMO efficiency. In the other processes category, the use of silicates as a silicon source and of electrolysis as a process were studied. The best electrolytic process uses a 1000 C fused salt of silica in cryolite.