A numerical model of silane pyrolysis in a gas-solids fluidized bed

Recentexperimentshave shown thatsilanepyrolysisin agas-solidsfluidizedbedmaybe anattracti ve way to produceultra-puresilicon. Sucha processwould possessthegeneral advantagesof fluidizedbedtechnology , namely, goodcontacting,thermalhomogeneity , thoroughmixing of particles,easysolidshandling,andlow pressuredrop. Sucha fluidizedbedreactoris simulatedusingthetwo-fluid hydrodynamicmodelMFIX (MultiphaseFlow with InterphaseeXchanges; www.mfix.org), developedat theNational Energy TechnologyLaboratory. Using MFIX three-dimensional simulationsof silane pyrolysis areperformed. The chemistryis describedby a simple set of homogeneous andheterogeneous reactions.Resultsarecomparedto availableexperimentaldatawhere silicon depositionrateson a bed of aluminaparticleswere measuredas a function of temperature, bedheight,andfluidizationvelocity.