To provide an apparatus for purifying silicon which is suitable for the high efficient removal of impurity elements, particularly boron in raw material silicon and in which the formation and the growth of an oxidized coating film of SiO2 are suppressed, the clogging of a purification gas blowing hole is prevented and a stable long term operation is performed.
The apparatus for purifying silicon is provided with a melting furnace 10 where the raw material silicon containing impurities is kept in a melting state and a purification gas blowing and stirring means S1 for purifying silicon by stirring molten silicon M while blowing a purification gas containing an oxidizing gas into the molten silicon M in the melting furnace 10. The purification gas blowing and stirring means S1 is provided with a hollow bar body 5 having a purification gas introducing passage 4 inside, a stirring body 6 provided at the tip of the bar body 5 and having the gas blowing hole 7 communicating with the purification gas introducing passage 4 and formed on the outer surface and a bar body driving part for moving the stirring body 6 in the molten silicon M by driving the bar body 5. The stirring body 6 has a corner part on the outer surface and the gas blowing hole 7 is opened at the corner part or the vicinity of the corner part of the stirring body 6.
WADA KENJI
HAYAKAWA HISASHI
