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US 4,292,145 AGranted
Electrodeposition of molten silicon
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorsRobert C. De Mattei, Dennis Elwell, Robert S. Feigelson
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Abstract
Silicon dioxide is dissolved in a molten electrolytic bath, preferably comprising barium oxide and barium fluoride. A direct current is passed between an anode and a cathode in the bath to reduce the dissolved silicon dioxide to non-alloyed silicon in molten form, which is removed from the bath.
Claims19
A method of reducing silicon dioxide to silicon in molten form by electrodeposition comprising:
- (a) dissolving silicon dioxide in a molten electrolytic salt bath,
- (b) passing a direct current between an anode and a cathode in the electrolytic salt bath to reduce said dissolved silicon dioxide to a product consisting essentially of non-alloyed silicon, said bath being maintained at a sufficiently high temperature in excess of 1420.degree. C. for said thus-formed reduced silicon to be in molten form, said electrolytic salt bath being stable at said maintained temperature, and
- (c) removing said reduced silicon from said electrolytic salt bath, said silicon being essentially free from bath salt inclusions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.