What is "tribromosilane"

Tribromosilane is a chemical compound containing silicon, hydrogen, and bromine. At high temperatures, it decomposes to produce silicon, and is an alternative to purified trichlorosilane of ultrapure silicon in the semiconductor industry.

The Schumacher Process of silicon deposition uses tribromosilane gas to produce polysilicon, but it has a number of cost and safety advantages over the Siemens Process to make polysilicon.

It may be prepared by heading crystalline silicon with gaseous hydrogen bromide at high temperature. It spontaneously combusts when exposed to air.