Process for the preparation of hexachlorodisilane by cleavage of higher polychlorosilanes such as octachlorotrisilane

1. A process for converting polychlorosilanes into hexachlorodisilane, comprising:

mixing one or more trimeric polychlorosilanes or a trimeric polychlorosilane in a mixture with higher molecular weight polychlorosilanes with hydrogen chloride; and then,

exposing the mixture of the hydrogen chloride and the one or more trimeric polychlorosilanes or the trimeric polychlorosilane in a mixture with higher molecular weight polychlorosilanes to a gas discharge to obtain a product comprising the hexachlorodisilane,

wherein the trimeric polychlorosilane is octachlorotrisilane, and

wherein octachlorotrisilane or octachlorotrisilane in a mixture with higher molecular weight polychlorosilanes and the hydrogen chloride are mixed such that a molar ratio of octachlorotrisilane/hydrogen chloride is from 3:1 to 2:1.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the gas discharge is a nonthermal plasma.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the polychlorosilanes are converted into the hexachlorodisilane in a vacuum.

4. The process according to claim 1 , having a specific energy input of between 0.1 Ws/cm 2 and 10 Ws/cm 2 .

5. The process according to claim 1 , having a specific energy input that is effected using a phase-accurate measurement of instantaneous power at a band width of at least 250 kHz, wherein the measurement of instantaneous power is carried out in a coaxial reactor having a 50 cm 2 discharge area.

6. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising:

distilling the product after the exposing.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the product has a hexachlorodisilane content of not less than 99.999 wt %.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more trimeric polychlorosilanes or the trimeric polychlorosilane in a mixture with higher molecular weight polychlorosilanes mixed with the hydrogen chloride and exposed to the gas discharge has less than 100 weight ppm of impurities.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more trimeric polychlorosilanes or the trimeric polychlorosilane in a mixture with higher molecular weight polychlorosilanes mixed with the hydrogen chloride and exposed to the gas discharge is a polyperchlorosilane having less than 100 weight ppm of impurities.

10. The process according to claim 1 , being carried out in a reactor that is equipped with one or more glass tubes.