A high-purity n-tetrasilane purification method includes: introducing a tetrasilane (Si.sub.4H.sub.10) isomeric mixture into a solidifying purification tank, cooling the tetrasilane (Si.sub.4H.sub.10) to a predetermined temperature with refrigerant in the solidifying purification tank, maintaining the predetermined temperature between the freezing temperature of the n-tetrasilane (n-Si.sub.4H.sub.10) and of the i-tetrasilane (i-Si.sub.4H.sub.10), solidifying the n-tetrasilane (n-Si.sub.4H.sub.10) in the tetrasilane (Si.sub.4H.sub.10) isomeric mixture into solid state, and vacuuming the i-tetrasilane (i-Si.sub.4H.sub.10) from the mixture for separation.

A polymerization inhibitor for a silane enables purification of the silane to a high degree because a polymer is not formed even when heating to distill the silane, even when a cyclic silane monomer is present. A high-purity cyclic silane composition is obtained, in particular high-purity cyclopentasilane, that can be polymerized and applied onto a substrate as a coating-type polysilane composition and fired to produce a good silicon thin film with high conductivity. The polymerization inhibitor includes a secondary or tertiary aromatic amine. The aromatic group is a phenyl group or a naphthyl group. The polymerization inhibitor is present in a proportion of 0.01 to 10 mol % per mole of the silane. In the polymerization inhibitor, a boiling point of the aromatic amine is 196° C. or higher.

By incorporating an additional TCS and/or DCS redistribution reactor in the TCS recycle loop and/or DCS recycle loop, respectively, of a process and system for silane manufacture, efficiencies in the production of silane are realized. Further improvements in efficiencies may be realized by directing a portion of the product from a redistribution reactor into a distillation column, and specifically into the distillation column that formed the feedstock that went into the redistribution reactor.

A method for fabricating trihalodisilane, the method includes providing a halodisilane including at least four halogen atoms; reducing the halodisilane, using a mixed reducing agent including a first reducing agent represented by following Chemical Formula 1-1, in which R.sub.A is an alkyl group, and m and n are each independently 1 or 2, and m+n=3, and a second reducing agent represented by following Chemical Formula 2-1, in which R.sub.S is an alkyl group or an aryl group, p and q are each independently 1, 2, or 3, and p+q=4; and obtaining a product including a 1,1,1-trihalodisilane,

(R.sub.A).sub.m—Al—H.sub.n  [Chemical Formula 1-1]

(R.sub.S).sub.p—Sn—H.sub.q.  [Chemical Formula 2-1]

Methods of selectively synthesizing n-tetrasilane are disclosed. N-tetrasilane is prepared by pyrolysis of silane (SiH.sub.4), disilane (Si.sub.2H.sub.6), trisilane (Si.sub.3H.sub.8), or mixtures thereof. More particularly, the disclosed synthesis methods tune and optimize the n-tetrasilane:i-tetrasilane isomer ratio. The isomer ratio may be optimized by selection of process parameters, such as temperature, residence time, and the relative amount of starting compounds. The disclosed synthesis methods allow facile preparation of n-tetrasilane.

A high-purity n-tetrasilane purification method includes: introducing a tetrasilane (Si.sub.4H.sub.10) isomeric mixture into a solidifying purification tank, cooling the tetrasilane (Si.sub.4H.sub.10) to a predetermined temperature with refrigerant in the solidifying purification tank, maintaining the predetermined temperature between the freezing temperature of the n-tetrasilane (n-Si.sub.4H.sub.10) and of the i-tetrasilane (i-Si.sub.4H.sub.10), solidifying the n-tetrasilane (n-Si.sub.4H.sub.10) in the tetrasilane (Si.sub.4H.sub.10) isomeric mixture into solid state, and vacuuming the i-tetrasilane (i-Si.sub.4H.sub.10) from the mixture for separation.

Methods of selectively synthesizing n-tetrasilane are disclosed. N-tetrasilane is prepared by catalysis of silane (SiH.sub.4), disilane (Si.sub.2H.sub.6), trisilane (Si.sub.3H.sub.8), or mixtures thereof. More particularly, the disclosed synthesis methods tune and optimize the n-tetrasilane:i-tetrasilane isomer ratio. The isomer ratio may be optimized by selection of process parameters, such as temperature and the relative amount of starting compounds, as well as selection of proper catalyst. The disclosed synthesis methods allow facile preparation of n-tetrasilane.

A method of making neopentasilane, the method comprising: contacting perchloroneopentasilane with a reductive effective amount of an alkali metal aluminum hydride in an alkylaluminum compound of formula R.sub.xAlCl.sub.3-x, where R is alkyl having from at least 5 carbon atoms, x is an integer from 1 to 3, and the alkylaluminum compound has a boiling point of at least 250° C., at conditions sufficient to reduce the perchloroneopentasilane, to form a reaction product mixture comprising neopentasilane, and separating the neopentasilane from the product mixture to form a neopentasilane isolate.

Synthesis of silanes with more than three silicon atoms are disclosed (i.e., (Si.sub.nH.sub.(2n+2) with n=4-100). More particularly, the disclosed synthesis methods tune and optimize the isomer ratio by selection of process parameters such as temperature, residence time, and the relative amount of starting compounds, as well as selection of proper catalyst. The disclosed synthesis methods allow facile preparation of silanes containing more than three silicon atoms and particularly, the silanes containing preferably one major isomer. The pure isomers and isomer enriched mixtures are prepared by catalytic transformation of silane (SiH.sub.4), disilane (Si.sub.2H.sub.6), trisilane (Si.sub.3H.sub.8), and mixtures thereof.

Triphenylgermylsilane (Ph.sub.3GeSiH.sub.3) is useful for the production of germanium-silicon layers (GeSi) or as transfer agent of silane groups (SiH.sub.3). Further, a method describes the production of triphenylgermylsilane (Ph.sub.3GeSiH.sub.3) by reducing trichlorosilyl-triphenylgermane (Ph.sub.3GeSiCl.sub.3) with a hydride in solution, and another method describes the production of trichlorosilytrichlorogermane (Cl.sub.3GeSiCl.sub.3) by reacting trichlorosilyltriphenyigermane (Ph.sub.3GeSiCl.sub.3) with hydrogen chloride (HCl) in the presence of AlCl.sub.3 in solution. In addition, trichlorosilyltrichlorogermane is also used for the production of germanium-silicon layers (GeSi).