Efficient solar grade silicon production system

Abstract

Example systems are described for producing solar grade silicon from a silicon-generating reaction and recycled silicon particles. In one example, a system for manufacturing high purity solid silicon includes a reactor and a cooling chamber. The reactor includes one or more outlets and a reactor chamber. The one or more outlets are configured to receive a silicon tetrahalide, a reducing agent, and recycled silicon particles. The reactor chamber is configured to react the silicon tetrahalide and the reducing agent to produce fresh silicon, a halide salt, and reaction heat. The reactor chamber heats the recycled silicon particles, the fresh silicon, and the halide salt using at least a portion of the reaction heat to form molten silicon and molten halide salt. The molten silicon includes melted fresh silicon and melted recycled silicon particles. The cooling chamber is configured to cool the molten silicon to form the solid silicon.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.