Behavior of carbon in electron beam melted mc-silicon.

The behavior of carbon in multicrystalline silicon scraps by electron beam melting was investigated in this study. It was found that the process favors nucleation of SiC on Si 3 N 4. Furthermore, carbon tends to gather to top surface of the ingots with increasing melting time, and the reaction between oxygen and carbon favors carbon migration. The melt convection and temperature gradient caused by electron beam are employed to be the dominate reason the phenomenon occurs. The results can provide guidance in silicon recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]