Polysilicon production generates waste, and recycling that waste can be advantageous. An understanding of how waste streams are created and how to remove them through recycling, will enable polysilicon manufacturing with a closed-loop design. The economics of recycling are also discussed along with the use of an ion-exchange catalyst for recycling.
Polysilicon is required by the photovoltaic (PV) industry as a raw material for the manufacture of solar cells. Semiconductor makers also use polysilicon.
Prior to 2008, a polysilicon shortage triggered new capacity startups for making both solar- and electronic-grade polysilicon. Efforts are now underway to minimize waste materials generated while reducing the production cost of polysilicon. Trichlorosilane (TCS or SiHCl3) is utilized for most of the polysilicon produced in the world using the Siemens reactor process.