Technology Innovations in Polysilicon Production to Cut Cost of Photovoltaic Cells  

By Lily Wang   
China's silicon players are focusing on technological innovations, environment protection and recycle utilization and extensive applications, according to the Third Silicone Applications Market Conference held by China National Chemical Information Center in Beijing April 23rd - 24th, 2009.
   "The current high polysilicon production cost has constrained the development of China's solar energy sector. Thereby, the polysilicon based photovoltaic cell can not compete with coal or natural gas in power generation, without governmental subsidy," presented Liao Jun, general manager of Wuhan University Silicone New Material Co., Ltd., and also director of the Engineering Research Center of Organosilicon Compound & Material of the Ministry of Education at the conference. "In order to lower the cost, our research team has found an effective way to manufacture 4N (99.99%) - 5N (99.999%) ultrapure silicon dioxide by using alkoxysilane as initial raw material, which can come a the satisfactory result in laboratory. No we are expecting to partner with metallurgical companies to manufacture silicon as well as polysilicon."
   "The alkoxysilane routine polysilicon process is expected to cut polysilicon production cost by up to 2/3 compared with the current modified Siemens technology thanks to its higher conversion ratio and feature of no byproducts to need treatments." Huang Chi, the chief of the team, professor of Wuhan University, introduced at the conference.
   Wuhan University Silicone New Material Co., Ltd. is building an alkoxysilane facility in Wuhan, Hubei province. The first phase is scheduled for completion in mid-2009, with a capacity of 30 000 t/a by the end of 2009 and further expanding to 50 000 t/a by the marketing conditions.
   Roughly 100 attendees from domestic silicon related producers and foreign companies in China discussed how to protect environment in the polysilicon production in order to realize clean production and called for more attentions on this issues.
   Furthermore, China's silicon sector shall make more efforts on developing polysilicon downstream applications.
   Suzhou Nanodispersions Co., Ltd., an industry leading nanometer particles manufacturer and innovator, produces ultrapure nanosilica and nanoalumina dispersions using its patented, proprietary sol-gel technologies. The silicon compound dispersions have wide applications in scratch-resistant coatings, anti-reflection coating for solar glass, ultrafine polishing applications including hard drive, semiconductor wafers, LED wafers, catalytic converters, environmental catalysts etc. "Alkoxysilane based silica sol is up to now the most perfect process but too difficult to be commercialized in the Chinese market due to higher cost and price," according to CEO of Suzhou Nanodispersions.
   "We should carry out the development strategy of differentiation in the silicon sector and alternative products competition outside the silicon sector in China to promote the domestic silicon industry," suggested Mr. Liao Jun at his presentation.