Ingot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An ingot is a mass of material cast into a shape which is easy to handle.
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[edit] Types of ingots
[edit] Metal
Metal heated past its melting point and molded into a bar or block. Additionally, the molds from which metal objects are cast maybe called ingots.
[edit] Semiconducting Material
In the semiconductor industry single crystal ingots (often called boules) of semiconductor materials can be grown by methods such as the Czochralski process or Bridgeman technique. These are then cut up and polished to provide wafers on which semiconductor devices, ranging from microprocessors to light-emitting diodes can be fabricated. Single crystal ingots can be created with single dendrite formation. Such is done for single crystal turbine blades.
[edit] Trivia
- The Chinese New Year's cookie, Yau Gwok, was made to symbolize the ingot.
- The eighth letter in the Ogham alphabet is Tinne meaning "ingot".
