TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The method (M1) further involves at least one additional step selected from purging the reactor before step (i); vaporizing the organohalide before step (i); liquefying the organohalide before step (i); contacting the calcium silicide with H2 before and/or during step (i); purging the reactor before step (ii); purging the reactor before step (iii); liquefying the organohalide before step (iii); vaporizing the additional organohalide before step (iii); and/or contacting the reactant with H2 before and/or during step (iii). The temperature in step (i) is 300-500 degrees C. The method further involves adding a promoter selected from Al, Sn, Zn, P, and/or their compounds during step (i) and/or (iii). In method (M1), one of conditions (a) to (c) is satisfied: (a) the organohalide has formula RX; (b) the organohalide has formula HeCfX'g, where organohalide is noncyclic aliphatic hydrocarbyl halide or monocyclic cycloalkyl halide; and (c) organohalide is selected from methyl chloride (CH3Cl), methylene chloride (CH2Cl2), chloroform (CHCl3), carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), and dichloroethane. In method (M1), when the silane product is hydridotrihalosilane, the method further involves using the hydridotrihalosilane as a reactant in a chemical vapor deposition process for making polycrystalline silicon, or in hydrolysis process to produce polysiloxane; when the silane product is tetrahalosilane, the method further involves using the tetrahalosilane as a reactant to make hydridohalosilane and/or organohalosilane; when the silane product is diorganodihalosilane, the method further involves using the diorganodihalosilane as a reactant in hydrolysis process to produce polyorganosiloxane; when the silane product is organohydridohalosilane, the method further involves using the organohydridohalosilane as a reactant to make polyorganohydridosiloxane; and when the silane product is tetraorganosilane, the method further involves using the tetraorganosilane as a reactant in chemical vapor deposition process.R=alkyl group or aryl group (preferably alkyl group);X=Br or Cl (preferably Cl);e= greater than or equal to 0;f= greater than or equal to 1;g= greater than or equal to 1;e+g=2f or 2f+2;X'=halo.Preferred Components: The calcium silicide is CaSi2, CaSi, or Ca2Si. The silane has formula HaRbSiX(4-a-b). The silane product has formula RmHnSiX(4-m-n), where the silane product is not a mixture with the silane of formula HaRbSiX(4-a-b). Preferred Definitions:    a=4;    b=0;    m=1 or 2;    n=0 or 1;    m+n=1, 2, or 3.    EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.