Wetting Properties of Molten Silicon with Graphite Materials

The wetting behavior of refractory materials by molten silicon is important in the refining and casting of silicon with respect to production of low-cost solar cells. Here we studied the wetting properties of several graphite materials by molten silicon. These materials are used in the photovoltaic industry. The sessile drop method is employed to measure the contact angles. Initially, molten silicon does not wet graphite materials. The initial contact angles measured are approximately 120 deg. Molten silicon will react with C to form β-SiC and to infiltrate the refractory. Because losses of Si should be minimized, infiltration of Si into the refractory also is a problem. Surface roughness increases the contact area between Si and refractory and thus the loss of Si. Equilibrium wetting angles of 0 deg to 31 deg are measured. With increasing surface roughness, the equilibrium wetting angles decrease. The results show that the infiltration depth of molten silicon increases with the average pore size of graphite materials.