Purification of metallurgical-grade silicon powder via chemical attack by hydrofluoric and nitric acids followed by thermal treatment

We investigated a novel process for purifying metallurgical-grade silicon (MG-Si). MG-Si powder was first treated to form a thin porous silicon layer. This was heated at 900 degrees C under oxygen to weaken impurity Si bonds. Samples were then chemically etched with dilute aqueous hydrofluoric acid. To understand the mechanisms in this purification process, structural, chemical composition and optical properties of MG-Si powder before and after treatment were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission (ICP-AES), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy techniques. FTIR studies of treated MG-Si powder revealed the formation of a thin porous silicon layer on the top surface, as evidenced by SiHx vibration peaks. PL spectra show that 30-mm HF etching of MG-Si led to an increase in red emission, indicating the formation of porous silicon and suggesting a decrease in impurities. ICP-AES revealed that the process led to significant decreases in the concentrations of 15 different elemental impurities. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.