# US 2017/0283266 A1 · Poly-silicon manufacturing apparatus and method using high-efficiency hybrid horizontal reactor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0283266 A1 - Document ID: US20170283266A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/508,370 - Filed: 2015-07-03 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-29 - Assignees: LG Chem, Ltd. - Applicants: LG Chem, Ltd. - Inventors: Eunsu JANG; Yoo Seok KIM; Jeong Kyu KIM; JinHyoung YOO; JungWoo LEE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170283266A1 ## CPC - C01B 33/03: by decomposition of silicon halides or halosilanes or reduction thereof with hydrogen as the only reducing agent - B01J 12/005: {carried out at high temperatures, e.g. by pyrolysis} - B01J 12/007: {in the presence of catalytically active bodies, e.g. porous plates} - B01J 12/02: for obtaining at least one reaction product which, at normal temperature, is in the solid state - B01J 19/0053: {Details of the reactor} - B01J 19/006: {Baffles} - B01J 19/2415: {Tubular reactors} - B01J 19/242: {in series} - C01B 33/035: by decomposition or reduction of gaseous or vaporised silicon compounds in the presence of heated filaments of silicon, carbon or a refractory metal, e.g. tantalum or tungsten, or in the presence of heated silicon rods on which the formed silicon is deposited, a silicon rod being obtained, e.g. Siemens process - B01J 2219/0004: Processes in series - B01J 2219/00135: Electric resistance heaters - B01J 2219/00139: using electromagnetic heating - B01J 2219/00155: using insulating materials or refractories - B01J 2219/00765: Baffles attached to the reactor wall - B01J 2219/182: horizontal - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS ## Abstract According to the present invention, there is provided a polysilicon production apparatus including: a horizontal reaction tube having an inlet port through which gaseous raw materials including reactant gases and a reducing gas are supplied, an outlet port through which residual gases exit, a reaction surface with which the gaseous raw materials come into contact, and bottom openings through which molten polysilicon produced by the reactions of the gaseous raw materials is discharged; and first heating means adapted to heat the reaction surface of the horizontal reaction tube. The horizontal reaction tube includes reaction regions consisting of first reaction regions where polysilicon is deposited and second reaction regions where reaction by-products are converted to the reactant gases. The first reaction regions are connected in series with the second reaction regions. Also provided is a polysilicon production method using the polysilicon production apparatus. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A polysilicon production apparatus comprising: a horizontal reaction tube positioned in an insulated tube and having an inlet port through which gaseous raw materials comprising reactant gases and a reducing gas are supplied, an outlet port through which residual gases exit, a reaction surface with which the gaseous raw materials come into contact, and bottom openings through which molten polysilicon produced by the reactions of the gaseous raw materials is discharged; and first heating means adapted to heat the reaction surface of the horizontal reaction tube wherein the horizontal reaction tube comprises reaction regions consisting of first reaction regions where polysilicon is deposited and second reaction regions where reaction by-products are converted to the reactant gases, the first reaction regions being connected in series with the second reaction regions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The polysilicon production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reaction temperature of the first reaction regions is controlled independently from that of the second reaction regions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The polysilicon production apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a container adapted to collect the molten polysilicon discharged through the bottom openings of the horizontal reaction tube. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The polysilicon production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reactant gases comprise trichlorosilane (TCS), the reaction by-products comprise one or more of monosilane, monochlorosilane, dichlorosilane, and tetrachlorosilane (STC), and the reducing gas comprises hydrogen. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The polysilicon production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bottom openings of the horizontal reaction tube are formed in the first reaction regions. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The polysilicon production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first reaction regions and the second reaction regions of the horizontal reaction tube are alternately arranged and the last reaction region is occupied by the first reaction region. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The polysilicon production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the second reaction regions further has an opening through which a reducing gas is supplied. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The polysilicon production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second reaction regions comprise a catalyst capable of promoting the conversion of the reaction by-products to the reactant gases. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The polysilicon production apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the catalyst is Si, SiC or a mixture thereof that provides no impurities during polysilicon deposition. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The polysilicon production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second reaction regions have internal structures to provide additional reaction surfaces. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The polysilicon production apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the polysilicon collection container comprises second heating means adapted to maintain the collected polysilicon in a molten state or maintains the collected polysilicon in a solid state without the need for additional heating means. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The polysilicon production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reaction surface is either the inner or outer surface of the horizontal reaction tube or both. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The polysilicon production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the polysilicon is discharged in the form of droplets through the bottom openings and is collected in the collection container. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The polysilicon production apparatus according to claim 3, wherein both the horizontal reaction tube and the polysilicon collection container are positioned in the insulated tube. ### Claim 15 A polysilicon production method comprising: feeding gaseous raw materials comprising reactant gases and a reducing gas into a first reaction region of a horizontal reaction tube, which is positioned in an insulated tube and has reaction regions consisting of first reaction regions where polysilicon is deposited and second reaction regions where reaction by-products are converted to the reactant gases, the first reaction regions being connected in series with the second reaction regions, through a gas inlet port; heating the first reaction regions of the horizontal reaction tube to the reaction temperature of the gaseous raw materials to deposit polysilicon; converting by-products of the reactions in the first reaction regions to the reactant gases in the second reaction regions and allowing the reactant gases to participate in polysilicon deposition; and discharging the deposited polysilicon in the form of droplets through bottom openings of the horizontal reaction tube. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The polysilicon production method according to claim 15, further comprising collecting the discharged polysilicon in the form of droplets in a collection container. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The polysilicon production method according to claim 16, further comprising heating the collection container to maintain the collected polysilicon in a liquid state or maintaining the polysilicon collected in the collection container in a solid state. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The polysilicon production method according to claim 15, wherein the first reaction regions are heated to a temperature suitable for polysilicon deposition and the second reaction regions are heated to a temperature suitable for the conversion of reaction by-products, the two temperatures being controlled independently from each other. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The polysilicon production method according to claim 15, wherein the method comprises supplying an additional reducing gas to the second reaction regions for the conversion of the reaction by-products in the absence of a catalyst or supplying a catalyst to the second reaction regions for the conversion of the reaction by-products. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The polysilicon production method according to claim 15, wherein the reactant gases comprise trichlorosilane, the reaction by-products comprise one or more of monosilane, monochlorosilane, dichlorosilane, and tetrachlorosilane (STC), and the reducing gas comprises hydrogen.