Preparation of substantially pure silicon

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION APPARATUS FOR PREPARING SUBSTANTIALLY PURE ELEMENTAL SILICON COMPRISING A CONTAINER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND RETAIN A LIQUID SILANE COMPOUND MEANS FOR FEEDING SAID LIQUID INTO SAID CONTAINER, A TARGET MADE OF A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF GRAPHITE AND SILICON CARBIDE POSITIONED IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONTAINER WHEREBY SAID TARGET IS IMMERSED IN SAID LIQUID WHEN SAID LIQUID IS PRESENT IN SAID CONTAINER, A QUARTZ LINER SURROUNDING SAID TARGET AND BEING DISPOSED AWAY FROM THE WALLS OF SAID CONTAINER TO SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTITUTE A CHAMBER WITHIN SAID CONTAINER, SAID LINER FURTHER BEING COMPOSED OF A TOP SECTION AND A BOTTOM SECTION WITH A NARROW-WIDTH ANNULAR GAP BETWEEN SAID SECTION WHEREBY SAID LIQUID IS ALLOWED TO CIRCULATE AROUND SAID BOTTOM OF SAID LINER AND THEREBY CAUSE PELLETS OF SILICON FORMED ON SAID TARGET TO FLOAT TO THE SURFACE OF SAID LIQUID, AND MEANS FOR HEATING SAID TARGET TO A SUITABLE TEMPERATURE TO GENERATE A VAPOR OF SAID LIQUID IN THE VICINITY OF SAID TARGET FROM WHICH SILICON IS EXTRACTED.