Specialty Gases Silane SiH4 Gas For Semiconductor Application

Silane is an inorganic compound with chemical formula, SiH₄, making it a group 14 hydride. It is a colourless, pyrophoric gas with a sharp, repulsive smell, somewhat similar to that of acetic acid.Silane is of practical interest as a precursor to elemental silicon.

Several industrial and medical applications exist for silane and functionalized silanes. For instance, silanes are used as coupling agents to adhere fibers such as glass fibers and carbon fibers to certain polymer matrices, stabilizing the composite material. In other words, silane coats the glass fibers to create better adhesion to the polymer matrix. They can also be used to couple a bio-inert layer on a titanium implant. Other applications include water repellents, masonry protection, control of graffiti,applying polycrystalline silicon layers on silicon wafers when manufacturing semiconductors, and sealants. The semiconductor industry used about 300 metric tons per year of silane in the late 1990s.More recently, a growth in low-cost solar photovoltaic module manufacturing has led to substantial consumption of silane for depositing (PECVD) hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) on glass and other substrates like metal and plastic. The PECVD process is relatively inefficient at materials utilization with approximately 85% of the silane being wasted. To reduce that waste and the ecological footprint of a-Si:H-based solar cells further several recycling efforts have been developed.

Silane is also used in supersonic combustion ramjets to initiate combustion in the compressed air stream. As it can burn using carbon dioxide as an oxidizer it is a candidate fuel for engines operating on Mars.

Silane and similar compounds containing Si—H bonds are used as reducing agents in organic and organometallic chemistry.

Silane methacrylates are used in dentistry as part of tooth-colored, composite filling material. Silane methacrylates act as a coupling agent between the hard, silicate-based, ceramic filler and the organic, resin-based oligomer matrix.