Numerical simulation of phosphorus removal from silicon by induction vacuum refining

Abstract

Phosphorus can be expected to evaporate preferentially from silicon melt by induction vacuum refining (IVR). In the present study, on the assumption of phosphorus evaporating from silicon melt as gas species P and P 2, a numerical model of phosphorus removal from silicon by IVR was developed. The factors affecting phosphorus removal in decreasing order are temperature, chamber pressure, geometry of silicon melt, holding time, original phosphorus concentration. Calculated phosphorus removal shows good agreement with the present experimental data. © 2011 The Author(s).