Novel recycling method for boron removal from silicon by thermal plasma treatment coupled with steam and hydrogen gases

Su Hyun Baek, Hyunjae Lee, Dong Joon Min, Su Ji Choi, Byung Moon Moon, Hyun Do Jung

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Boron (B) separation from photovoltaic silicon (Si) remains a research challenge in the recycling field. In this study, a novel B-removal process was developed using thermal plasma treatment coupled with steam and hydrogen gases. Experiments were performed on artificially B-doped Si using various plasma conditions of mixed argon (Ar)/steam/hydrogen gases and varied refining time. The B concentration in all of the samples decreased with increasing refining time. The use of the plasma mixed with Ar/steam/hydrogen gases resulted in a significant improvement of the efficiency of B removal compared with the Ar/steam plasma refining. In addition, with increasing steam content in the plasma with mixed Ar/steam/hydrogen gases, the B-removal rates increased.

Original languageEnglish
Article number401
JournalMetals
Volume7
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 by the authors.

Keywords

  • Boron
  • Plasma
  • Recycling
  • Refining
  • Silicon
  • Solar cell

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