US Patent 7311101 End supporting plate for single crystalline ingot

This invention relates to an end supporting plate which can be attached to both ends of cylindrical ingot. By wire saw cutting, semiconductor wafers are sliced from the ingot attached with the end supporting plates. The end supporting plate has an elongated support surface. Maximum width of the support surface along a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the plate is smaller than the length along the axial direction. The length of the support surface is approximately similar to a diameter of the ingot to which the end support plate is to be attached, whereas maximum width of the support is smaller than the diameter of the ingot.