NSF Award
9901717
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop a novel technique of using silicon (Si) tubes for the production of polycrystalline Si. Bulk polysilicon is currently produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of silicon on hot thin crystalline Si rods, whose diameter increases with the deposition. The process is very slow, cannot be scaled up, and involves extremely complex and inefficient heating arrangements. A worldwide shortage of polysilicon has resulted from the increase of demand in the semiconductor and solar industries. The tube technology is expected to raise yield by allowing deposition on the inside of a large diameter tube, reduce energy consumption, simplify the CVD process, and allow easy control of the process. Phase II will focus on modeling, virtual prototyping, and manufacture of next-generation CVD systems, and will experiment with growth, deposition, and characterization methods.<br/> Commercial applications are expected in the production of polysilicon and will reduce its costs. Polysilicon material is critical for electronics, photovoltaics, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), and many other devices.
