Silicon metal is made from the reaction of silica and carbon materials like coke, coal and wood chips. When it comes to the manufacturing of silicon for wafers, the process can generally be broken down into three steps. Those steps are reduction, cooling, and packaging. Let’s take a deeper look at the three main steps used in silicon manufacturing.
During the reduction process, the raw materials are weighed and then placed into the furnace. A typical batch can contain 1,000lbs each of both gravel and chips and 500lbs of coal. The heat then melts the material and results in the reaction of sand with carbon to form silicon and carbon monoxide. While the metal is in this state, it is treated with oxygen and air to reduce the amount of calcium and aluminum impurities. This process takes anywhere from 6 to 8 hours to complete.
In the cooling phase, the oxidized material is poured into pots and cooled. The silicon is cooled in large cast iron trays. After cooling, the metal is dumped from the mold into a truck, weighed and then dumped in the storage pile. Before shipping, the metal is sized according to customer specifications, which may require a crushing process using jaw or cone crushers.
Silicon is typically packaged in large sacks or wooden boxes. These sacks or boxes can way up to 3,000lbs.
At Wafer World, we manufacture high-quality silicon wafers for a variety of industries. Contact us today to learn more.
