LITHIUM HYDRIDE TECHNOLOGY

OF MONOSILANE PRODUCTION

Description
The technology is based on a new method for producing monosilane from silicon tetrachloride by its
interaction with lithium hydride. The method is new in the aspect of implementation because a method of
converting silicon tetrachloride to monosilane by lithium hydride in a salt melt has been know previously.
In the previous methods of silicon reduction by alkaline hydrides, the resulting salts need to be disposed.
In the process designed, lithium chloride (LiCl) formed during the reaction enters high-temperature
electrolysis to produce metallic lithium, which, in turn, reacts to form lithium hydride used in silicon
tetrachloride conversion to monosilane. Thus, lithium is recycled, which is a very important factor that
reduces the net cost of the final product.
Using this process, available high-purity silicon tetrachloride formed and accumulated in silicon
production by trichlorosilane technology can be converted to monosilane by interaction with lithium
hydride at a temperature of about 3000 °С.
Cryogenic purification of the resulting monosilane converts it to a commodity product suitable for many
applications in microelectronics and in the production of high-purity polycrystalline silicon.

Technical appraisal and economic benefits

• recycling of the products (lithium chloride and unreacted chlorosilanes); improved environmental
safety;
• utilization of silicon tetrachloride accumulated in the trichlorosilane production of polysilicon into
monosilane or trichlorosilane.

Application areas
Microelectronics, production of solar silicon for photoelectronic receivers, production of high-purity
polysilicon for monosilicon in power electronics.

Development stage
The technology has been tested on the experimental laboratory equipment of the Novosibirsk Chemical
Concentrates Plant (NPCC); monosilane was obtained; an analysis proved its sufficient purity even
without purification. Technical and economic assessment has been carried out; an industrial setup has
been designed to manufacture 20 tons of monosilane per year at the NPCC.
A cryogenic technology of monosilane purification has been developed for a setup that produces
commercial monosilane with a purity not less than 99.99% vol.
Enterprises of Zelenograd and Novosibirsk are ready to sell the product.

Patent situation
The production method and setup were patented in the Russian Federation (2002).

Commercial offers
Investment agreement for commercialization of the development in an amount of US$ 5 million.

Estimated cost
The net cost of monosilane produced by this technology is an order of magnitude lower than that in the
previously known technologies.

Contacts
Cand.Sc. Pavel P. Samoylov, Scientific Secretary
Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
3, Prosp. Akademika Lavrentyeva, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
Phone: (383) 330-94-86
Fax: (383) 330-94-89
E-mail: sam@che.nsk.su
http://www.che.nsk.su