Reduction of SiCl4 in the presence of BCl3

Abstract

The present invention relates, in general, to the purification of boron trichloride (BCl.sub.3). More particularly, the invention relates to a process for minimizing silicon tetrachloride (SiCl.sub.4) formation in BCl.sub.3 production and/or the removal of SiCl.sub.4 in BCl.sub.3 product stream by preventing/minimizing the silicon source in the reaction chambers. In addition, a hydride material may be used to convert any SiCl.sub.4 present to SiH.sub.4 which is easier to remove. Lastly freeze separation would replace fractional distillation to remove SiCl.sub.4 from BCl.sub.3 that has been partially purified to remove light boilers.

Claims

1. A process for producing boron trichloride while reducing the formation of silicon tetrachloride and other silicon chlorides as an impurity, comprising: packing a non-reactive column, wherein said column is a source of silicon, having a non-reactive inner surface, with boron carbide (B.sub.4C) and optionally a reactive material or an adsorbent material or both that are in contact with said non-reactive inner surface; passing a chlorine gas through said non-reactive column, such that said chlorine gas does not come in contact with said source of silicon, thereby minimizing the formation of silicon tetrachloride and other silicon chloride impurities; and recovering a gaseous boron trichloride product having a reduced concentration of silicon tetrachloride.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein said source of silicon is a non-quartz material.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein said column is formed from a quartz material wherein said inner surface is coated with a material that is inert to chlorine attack.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein said material used to coat said inner surface is selected from the group consisting of graphene, silicon oxynitride, and refractory ceramic materials.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein said refractory ceramic material is selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, zirconium carbide, zirconium nitride, silicon nitride, and boron nitride.

6. The process of claim 1, further comprises flowing said gaseous boron trichloride product over a purification bed which aids in the separation of said silicon tetrachloride and other silicon chloride impurities from said gaseous boron trichloride.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein said purification bed is formed using pure boron.

8. The process of claim 6, wherein said purification bed is formed using molecular sieve materials having affinities for SiCl.sub.4 and appropriate pore sizes to exclude BCl.sub.3 molecules while allowing SiCl.sub.4 molecules to diffuse into said pores and be adsorbed on the internal surface of said adsorbent material.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein said pore size of adsorbent material is less than 6.00 .

10. The process of claim 6, wherein said purification bed comprises a reactive material, mixed material or other compound to react with SiCl.sub.4.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein said reactive materials comprise elemental titanium, 90% NaCl/10% elemental boron, elemental zinc, alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3), a hydride reducing agent or combinations thereof.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein said reducing agent comprises LiH, NaH, KH, CaH.sub.2, LiAlH.sub.4, NaBH.sub.4, diisobutylaluminum hydride (DIBAL), lithium triethylborohydride (LiB(Et).sub.3H) or combinations thereof.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein said silicon tetrachloride and said other silicon chloride impurities are removed from said BCl.sub.3 product by freeze purification.

14. The process of claim 6, wherein said purification bed is packed in said non-reactive column or is positioned downstream from said non-reactive column.

15. The process of claim 1, wherein said non-reactive column is formed from a quartz material wherein a concentric ring of particles that are less porous, less reactive, or less porous and less reactive together than said quartz material are packed into said column forming a barrier between said boron carbide and said inner surface of said quartz column.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein said particles that are less porous, less reactive, or less porous and less reactive together than said quartz material comprise boride nitride, pure boron or combinations thereof.

17. The process of claim 13, wherein said freeze purification further comprises exposing said boron trichloride product containing said silicon tetrachloride and said other silicon chloride impurities to temperatures that will result in the freezing of said SiCl.sub.4 to produce a solid while allowing BCl.sub.3 to remain as a liquid; separating SiCl.sub.4 from BCl.sub.3; and recovering a highly purified gaseous boron trichloride product having a reduced concentration of silicon tetrachloride and other silicon chloride impurities.

18. The process of claim 17, wherein said temperatures are between about 107.3 C. and 68.74 C.

19. A process for producing boron trichloride while reducing the formation of silicon tetrachloride and other silicon chlorides as an impurity, comprising: packing a non-reactive column, wherein said column is a source of silicon, having a non-reactive inner surface, with boron carbide (B.sub.4C) and optionally a reactive material or an adsorbent material or both that are in contact with said non-reactive inner surface; passing a chlorine gas through said non-reactive-column, such that said chlorine gas does not come in contact with said source of silicon, thereby minimizing the formation of silicon tetrachloride and other silicon chloride impurities thereby forming a gaseous boron trichloride product; flowing said gaseous boron trichloride product over a purification bed which aids in the separation of said silicon tetrachloride and other silicon chloride impurities from said gaseous boron trichloride; and recovering a gaseous boron trichloride product having a reduced concentration of silicon tetrachloride.

20. The process of claim 19, wherein said purification bed is formed using pure boron.

21. The process of claim 19, wherein said purification bed is formed using molecular sieve materials having affinities for SiCl.sub.4 and appropriate pore sizes to exclude BCl.sub.3 molecules while allowing SiCl.sub.4 molecules to diffuse into said pores and be adsorbed on the internal surface of said adsorbent material.

22. The process of claim 21, wherein said pore size of adsorbent material is less than 6.00 .

23. The process of claim 19, wherein said purification bed comprises a reactive material, mixed material or other compound to react with SiCl.sub.4.

24. The process of claim 23, wherein said reactive materials comprise elemental titanium, 90% NaCl/10% elemental boron, elemental zinc, alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3), a hydride reducing agent or combinations thereof.

25. The process of claim 24, wherein said reducing agent comprises LiH, NaH, KH, CaH.sub.2, LiAlH.sub.4, NaBH.sub.4, diisobutylaluminum hydride (DIBAL), lithium triethylborohydride (LiB(Et).sub.3H) or combinations thereof.

26. The process of claim 19, wherein said purification bed is packed in said non-reactive column or is positioned downstream from said non-reactive column.

27. A process for producing boron trichloride while reducing the formation of silicon tetrachloride and other silicon chlorides as an impurity, comprising: packing a non-reactive column, wherein said column is a source of silicon, having a non-reactive inner surface, with boron carbide (B.sub.4C) and optionally a reactive material or an adsorbent material or both that are in contact with said non-reactive inner surface; passing a chlorine gas through said non-reactive-column, such that said chlorine gas does not come in contact with said source of silicon, thereby minimizing the formation of silicon tetrachloride and other silicon chloride impurities thereby forming a purified gaseous boron trichloride product; exposing said boron trichloride containing said silicon tetrachloride impurities to temperatures that will result in the freezing of said silicon tetrachloride impurities to produce a solid while allowing BCl.sub.3 to remain as a liquid; separating said solids from BCl.sub.3; and recovering a highly purified gaseous boron trichloride product having a reduced concentration of silicon tetrachloride and other silicon chloride impurities.

28. A process for producing boron trichloride while reducing the formation of silicon tetrachloride and other silicon chlorides as impurities, comprising: packing a non-reactive column, wherein said column is a source of silicon, having an inner surface, with boron carbide (B.sub.4C) and optionally a reactive material or an adsorbent material or both that are in contact with said non-reactive inner surface, wherein a concentric ring of particles that are less porous, less reactive, or less porous and less reactive together than said source of silicon are packed into said column in contact with said non-reactive surface thereby forming a barrier between said boron carbide and said inner surface of said silicon material; passing a chlorine gas through said non-reactive-column, such that said chlorine gas does not come in contact with said source of silicon, thereby minimizing the formation of silicon tetrachloride and other silicon chloride impurities thereby forming a gaseous boron trichloride product; and recovering said gaseous boron trichloride product having a reduced concentration of silicon tetrachloride and other silicon chloride impurities.

29. The process of claim 28, wherein said particles that are less porous, less reactive, or less porous and less reactive together than said source of silicon, comprise boride nitride, pure boron or combinations thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.

(2) In the Drawings

(3) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the column reactor device of the present invention, with portions cut away to reveal the internal structure as assembled.

(4) FIG. 2A is an enlarged, detailed view of the protective coating of the column reactor device of FIG. 1 indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 1.

(5) FIG. 2B is an enlarged, detailed view of the present invention similar to the view shown in FIG. 2A, but having multiple protective coatings overlying one another.

(6) FIG. 2C is an enlarged, detailed view of the protective coating of the present invention similar to the view shown in FIG. 2A having an alternative protective barrier in contact with the surface of the protective coating.

(7) FIG. 2D is an enlarged, detailed view of the present invention as shown in FIG. 2C illustrating an alternative embodiment wherein the protective coating is absent and the protective barrier is in direct contact with the interior column reactor sidewalls and the reactive media.

(8) FIG. 3 is a side, cross-sectional view of the filter of FIG. 2D, with the addition of a filter bed.

(9) FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the column reactor device shown in the position illustrated in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) It has now been discovered that the presence of the silicon tetrachloride (SiCl.sub.4) impurity found in boron trichloride (BCl.sub.3) can be minimized during the synthesis of BCl.sub.3 and/or removed from the BCl.sub.3 product stream thus producing a purified BCl.sub.3.

(11) In accordance with the present invention, the silicon source attributable to the reactor is either eliminated by constructing a reactor column from a non-quartz material which is inert to chlorine attack at reaction conditions or minimized by inserting an protective coating or barrier between the interior sidewall of the column reactor and the reactive material used for the synthesis of BCl.sub.3, such as but not limited to boron carbide. This protective coating or barrier thereby minimizes the formation of impurities (such as SiCl.sub.4) that are generated by the reaction of the interior quartz reactor walls with reactive chemical species within the reactor. It should be understood and appreciated that the embodiments and/or features of the present invention disclosed herein may be freely combined with one another.

(12) In one embodiment, the reactor 10 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, makes use of an inert non-reactive material 14 that shows resistance to chlorine attack, such as but not limited to graphite, graphene, or silicon oxynitride, or refractory ceramic materials to form a dense nonporous thin protective coating or layer on the inner surface 12 of quartz column 16. The ceramics useful in this invention include but are not limited to silicon carbide, zirconium carbide, zirconium nitride, silicon nitride, or boron nitride. Such a protective coating 14 must have close thermal properties to quartz to avoid/minimize lamination and/or stress/tension due to thermal expansion at elevated temperatures.

(13) The protective coating 14, best seen in FIG. 2A, is juxtaposed between the interior surface 12 of the interior reactor 10 wall and the reactive material R, such as, but not limited to a boron compound such as boron carbide (B.sub.4C). Typically, protective coating 14, such as a graphene coating is formed by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process using methane or ethanol as a precursor at temperatures near 1000 C. on the interior surface 12 of quartz column 16 having an interior surface and an exterior surface. Alternatively, the protective coating 14 may be a silicon oxynitride layer formed on the interior surface 12 of the quartz material by rapidly flowing ammonia gas at 1200 C. A dense refractory ceramic coating typically is formed by a CVD process with appropriate precursors. For instance, a thin layer of boron nitride can be deposited on a quartz column surface by the chemical reaction between boron trichloride (or other boron compounds and ammonia. Alternatively, one or more additional coating layers (not shown) may be formed over the protective coating 14 on the interior surface 12 of the quartz column 16.

(14) If reactor 10 includes one or more different coatings 17 overlying and/or underneath the surface 15 of protective coating 14 deposited on interior surface 12 of the quartz column 16, as shown in FIG. 2B, the various coatings may be formed as adjacent layers overlying one another sequentially, or one or more of the coatings may penetrate into or even through one or more of the other coatings. Accordingly, the various coatings may be fairly described as being formed generally on or over the column, regardless of how or to what extent any given coating contacts any of the other coatings and/or the column itself. Similarly, when a material is described as being applied generally to the column, the material may be applied directly to the quartz column, or the material may be applied to the quartz column over one or more coatings already present on the quartz column.

(15) In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 2C, the surface temperature of quartz column 16 can be reduced by packing a concentric ring of larger diameter, and/or less porous, and/or lower reactive particles, such as, but not limited to boron nitride, pure boron, etc. into quartz column 16 to form a barrier 18 between the protective coating 14 of quartz column 16 and reactive material R, such as boron carbide (B.sub.4C). Alternatively, barrier 18 can be formed in direct contact with the interior surface 12 of column 16, as shown in FIG. 2D. This concentric ring of material, as best shown in FIG. 4, may be formed in juxtaposition with the interior sidewall surface 12 of quartz column 16 or it may have a graphite, graphene, or silicon oxynitride, or refractory ceramic materials interposed between it and the quartz surface, as shown in FIG. 2C. In another embodiment, not shown, a barrier may be formed within column 16 using a non-reactive tube, as opposed to loose particles which are packed into column 16. In this embodiment the exterior diameter of the tubular barrier would be slightly less than the inner diameter of column 16 so that when slid into place, the exterior surface of the tubular barrier would be in contact with the interior surface of column 16. In the event the exterior diameter of the tubular barrier is significantly less than the interior diameter of column 16 then the concentric annular space or gap that is formed can further be pack with a ring of larger diameter, and/or less porous, and/or lower reactive particles such as those that were used to describe barrier 18 above.

(16) By using an embodiment of reactor 10 as disclosed herein, BCl.sub.3 can be prepared by introducing chlorine gas C through gas inlet 20 thus passing over boron carbide and optionally carbon, packed within quartz column 16, which is heated, using inductive heating H (FIG. 1), to elevated temperatures of at least 800 C. to 1,200 C. Once the reaction is established, the reaction zone propagates slowly down the column generating BCl.sub.3 at the reaction zone. The chlorination reaction results in the formation of BCl.sub.3 and the presence of the silicon tetrachloride (SiCl.sub.4) impurity typically found in BCl.sub.3 is minimized during the synthesis of BCl.sub.3 as a result of the protective barrier that is established between the reactive materials and the quartz substrate. As will be disclosed in further detail below due to the presence of a silicon source in the reactive material R, any SiCl.sub.4 that is eventually formed may be removed using the process described herein thereby producing a purified BCl.sub.3 which exits reactor 10 by way of gas outlet 22.

(17) As discussed previously, regardless of the steps taken to eliminate the silicon source that results from the reactor, SiCl.sub.4 impurities may still form due to the presence of a silicon source in the B.sub.4C. Therefore, the present invention further contemplates processes for purifying the BCl.sub.3 product to remove any SiCl.sub.4 impurity formed regardless of whether the interior sidewalls of the column are protected by a coating or a barrier as discussed above. The following embodiment as shown in FIG. 3 contemplates having a protective coating or barrier; however, one skilled in the art will also recognize that the purification bed, as disclosed herein, could also be used in a standard quartz column (not shown). As shown in FIG. 3 and in accordance with the present invention a thin pure boron zone 120 or purification bed is formed at the bottom of reactor 110 and maintained within quartz column 116 using a ceramic frit or alternatively boron is placed in a heated separate bed (not shown) to react with any SiCl.sub.4 to form BCl.sub.3 and solid Si, so that SiCl.sub.4 impurity is removed from the BCl.sub.3 stream. Alternatively, proper molecular sieve materials having good affinities for SiCl.sub.4 and appropriate pore size to let SiCl.sub.4 molecules diffuse into the pores and be adsorbed on the internal surfaces of the adsorbent materials but exclude BCl.sub.3 molecule to enter the pores (the kinetic diameter of SiCl.sub.4 and BCl.sub.3 is 5.81 and 6.00 , respectively) can be utilized.

(18) Purification bed 120 may also be formed using a reactive elemental material, mixed material or other compound to react with SiCl.sub.4 to form, e.g. M.sub.xCl.sub.y, wherein x=1-4 and y=1-8 and elemental silicon such that the SiCl.sub.4 present as an impurity in BCl.sub.3 is substantially removed. The reactive material is at least partially consumed and acts as a SiCl.sub.4 getter. The byproduct or byproducts of reaction may need to be separated from BCl.sub.3, but this should be more convenient than separation of SiCl.sub.4. Preferred materials are elemental titanium (e.g. Ti sponge), 90% NaCl/10% elemental boron, elemental zinc (e.g. molten), and alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3).

(19) A hydride reducing agent may further be used to convert SiCl.sub.4 to SiH.sub.4, which is easier to separate from BCl.sub.3 than SiCl.sub.4. The hydride can readily be treated for disposal in the gas phase through controlled oxidation (e.g. exposure of low concentrations to air or burning in the presence of a fuel source), scrubbing with a liquid phase oxidizing medium (e.g. aqueous KMNO.sub.4 or NaOCl), scrubbing with a solid phase medium (e.g. Cu(OH).sub.2), or other acceptable method. Without wishing to be bound by theory, general reaction schemes may include, for example:
SiCl.sub.4+4MH.fwdarw.SiH.sub.4+4MCl
SiCl.sub.4+2MH.sub.2.fwdarw.SiH.sub.4+2MCl.sub.2
SiCl.sub.4+MMH.sub.4.fwdarw.SiH.sub.4+MCl+MCl.sub.3
SiCl.sub.4+4MR.sub.2H.fwdarw.SiH.sub.4+4MR.sub.2Cl
SiCl.sub.4+4MMR.sub.3H.fwdarw.SiH.sub.4+4MCl+4MR.sub.3
Where M comprises an alkaline earth metal, alkali metal or other main group metal or metalloid, and R comprises a hydrocarbyl group.

(20) The hydride reducing agent may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: LiH, NaH, KH, CaH.sub.2, LiAlH.sub.4, NaBH.sub.4, diisobutylaluminum hydride (DIBAL), and lithium triethylborohydride (LiB(Et).sub.3H). Other hydride reducing agents not included in this list may also be effective. Ideally, the reducing agent will have a high selectivity for SiCl.sub.4 over BCl.sub.3 and will yield a byproduct or byproducts that do not have a significant negative impact on subsequent processing.

(21) The best choice from the standpoint of reactivity and byproduct formation may be NaBH.sub.4, as this is less reactive than the alkaline and alkali earth hydrides and would generate NaCl and BCl.sub.3. DIBAL may also be a good choice, as the byproduct, diisobutylaluminum chloride, is a very high boiling liquid that would not generate solids in the process.

(22) SiCl.sub.4 may be further removed from a BCl.sub.3 stream by freeze purification. Atmospheric pressure boiling points for BCl.sub.3 and SiCl.sub.4 are about 12.6 C. and 57.65 C., respectively. Freezing points are about 107.3 C. and 68.74 C. This suggests that solid SiCl.sub.4 may be removed by condensing and cooling the BCl.sub.3 product.

(23) Without further elaboration it is believed that one skilled in the art can, using the description set forth above, utilize the invention to its fullest extent.

(24) Having disclosed several embodiments, it will be recognized by those of skill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the disclosed embodiments. Additionally, a number of well known processes and elements have not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Accordingly, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.

(25) Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Each smaller range between any stated value or intervening value in a stated range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included or excluded in the range, and each range where either, neither or both limits are included in the smaller ranges is also encompassed within the invention, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included.

(26) As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms a, an, and the include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a process includes a plurality of such processes and reference to the dielectric material includes reference to one or more dielectric materials and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth.

(27) Also, the words comprise, comprising, include, including, and includes when used in this specification and in the following claims are intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, components, or steps, but they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, steps, acts, or groups.