High efficiency solar-grade silicon producing by directional solidification through controlling diffusion of impurity

Abstract

The precise distribution of impurity of the whole silicon ingot is investigated through a theoretical model and the experiments. This model solves the problem of inaccurate prediction of impurity distribution in the final solidification region. The model was used to calculate the distribution of iron impurity in polycrystalline silicon ingots after directional solidification and compared with experiments. The calculation accuracy was significantly improved compared to the traditional Scheil equation. This paper investigates the influence of cooling rate, silicon ingot height and solidification rate on the yield of purified products after directional solidification. For the experimental equipment and raw materials in this paper, the optimal cooling rate of silicon ingots after directional solidification is 0.33 °C/s, the optimal height of silicon ingots is 0.34 m, and the yield of silicon purification increases with the decrease of directional solidification rate. Based on the research results, a standard for removing the top skin of silicon ingots after directional solidification and a method for improving the purification yield by suppressing impurity diffusion during the cooling stage were obtained. This model can provide theoretical guidance for the development of low-cost and high-efficiency methods for removing impurities from polycrystalline silicon, and is of great significance for the development of the photovoltaic industry. In addition, the theoretical model proposed in this paper can also be applied to the directional solidification purification process of other materials, such as the preparation of high-purity aluminum and high-purity titanium, and can predict the impurity migration behavior and distribution pattern throughout the purification process.