Polycrystalline silicon, also known as poly-Si, polysilicon or polys, is a high purity, polycrystalline form of silicon. It has played a crucial role in driving the semiconductor industry since the late 20th century and remains one of the most widely used materials for fabricating integrated circuits and photovoltaic cells.
Properties of Polycrystalline Silicon
Polycrystalline silicon is composed of numerous microscopic silicon crystals or crystallites. Due to the presence of multiple crystallographic orientations, poly-Si tends to have somewhat lower charge carrier mobility compared to single crystal silicon. However, it has some unique properties that make it ideal for industrial scale production:
- Ultrahigh purity: Can be manufactured to a purity level of 99.999999% or higher, meeting the stringent requirements of semiconductor devices.
- Electrically conducts: Acts as an electrical conductor due to the presence of charge carriers inside individual crystallites.
- Mechanically robust: Forms a hard, durable and easily polishable material.
- Compatible with Si technology: Matches well with existing Si processing equipment and infrastructure used in VLSI fabrication.
- Thermally stable: Withstands high temperatures used in diffusion, oxidation and annealing processes.
Manufacturing of Polycrystalline Silicon
Poly-Si production is a complex, energy intensive process carried out in specialized facilities called polysilicon plants. The key steps in its manufacturing are:
- Trichlorosilane Production: High purity metallurgical grade silicon is reacted with hydrogen chloride to produce trichlorosilane gas (HSiCl3).
- Deposition: The SiCl3 molecules from trichlorosilane are decomposed and deposited uniformly on a substrate using a chemical vapor deposition reactor heated to 500-650°C.
- Annealing: The deposited amorphous silicon layers are annealed at 1000-1300°C to transform it into a polycrystalline structure composed of tiny crystallites.
- Purification: The poly-Si ingot is further purified using processes like acid leaching and crystallization to attain the required purity level.
- Ingot preparation: The purified ingot is sliced into wafers using a wire-saw and polished to prepare them for device fabrication.
Applications of Polycrystalline Silicon
Due to its versatility, polycrystalline silicon finds application in a wide range of fields with huge commercial demand:
Integrated Circuits
Poly-Si is the most essential material for manufacturing transistors, the building blocks of modern ICs. Most processor chips, memory devices, controllers etc. are built using poly-Si gate electrodes in CMOS fabrication processes.
Photovoltaic Cells
Polycrystalline silicon is prominently used as the active material in popular types of solar cells including multi-crystalline and monocrystalline silicon PV panels. Over 90% of the global PV market relies on poly-Si technology.
Displays
Thin film transistors (TFT) made from poly-Si are used as backplanes in advanced displays. They drive the pixels in LCD screens of smartphones, TVs and computer monitors.
Smoke Detectors
Alpha particle emitting Americium is deposited on a layer of poly-Si to detect smoke in home and industrial fire alarms via the phenomenon of ionization.
Sensors and MEMS
Poly-Si is employed in manufacture of micro-sensors, actuators and microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices requiring a reliable electrical and structural material. Pressure sensors, accelerometers are some examples.
Future Prospects of Polycrystalline Silicon
The soaring demand from the electronics, semiconductor and solar industries is expected to ensure a stable growth in future poly-Si market. Technology advancements to develop new solar cell designs with higher efficiency using poly-Si will further fuel the need. Continuous improvements in manufacturing yields and cost reductions will determine the price competitiveness of poly-Si and the industries relying on it in the years to come. All in all, polycrystalline silicon is poised to remain a critical material enabling next generation technologies well into the 21st century
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The global photovoltaic materials market is expected to reach USD 36.23 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc.
The growing PV installations coupled with rise in module manufacturing facilities in Asia Pacific is driving market demand.The demand for photovoltaic materials is the highest in the construction of solar cell.
The growing number of PV projects commissioned by the government is boosting the consumption.
The government incentive offered on building integrated photovoltaics is expected to further augment market demand.Asia Pacific accounted for the maximum market share owing to the presence of a large number of module manufacturers in China and India.
The slowdown in the Chinese manufacturing sector due to sanctions imposed by the government is expected to force module manufacturers to turn towards other developing countries.
The growing exports of solar cells from Asia Pacific to North America and Europe are expected to have a positive impact on market demand.Further key findings from the report suggest:Polycrystalline silicon dominated the material segmentation with a market share of 62% in 2016.Copper Indium Gallium Selenide material segment is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.3% from 2017 to 2025 owing to research on new materials to be used in the construction of solar cell.Encapsulant products are anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 11.8% from 2017 to 2025 due to high demand for these products in thin film and silicon wafer modulesEurope market share is expected to decrease to around 14% in 2025 owing to growing exports of PV modules from Asia Pacific.Middle East & Africa is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 8% from 2017 to 2025 owing to governments in these regions investing heavily in solar PV installations.The industry participants are engaged in research on new materials used in the manufacturing of solar cells.Access full research report on global photovoltaic materials market: www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/photovoltaic-pv-materials-market
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