Abstract:
An apparatus for manufacturing a plurality of wafers by slicing a cylindrical ingot with a wire saw. The apparatus includes a measuring device for measuring the crystal orientation of the ingot; an adhering device for adhering a support to the surface of the ingot based on the orientation where the support includes an intermediate plate and a support plate, where the support plate is adapted to fit the wire saw, and where the adhering device includes an auxiliary adhering element for adhering the intermediate plate to the surface of the ingot and an adhering element for adhering the support plate to the intermediate plate; a dryer for drying and solidifying an adhesive applied between the ingot and the intermediate plate and an adhesive applied between the intermediate plate and the support plate; and the wire saw for slicing the ingot into the plurality of wafers while the ingot is supported on the support. The apparatus may include stockers for storing the ingot and transferring devices for transferring the ingot within the apparatus.

Description:
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 08/753,387, filed Nov. 26, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,814. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a system that slices silicon ingots used as the material for semiconductors, or the like. The present invention also relates to a method and apparatus for adhering ingots to support members, which are used to mount ingots on slicing machines, and an ingot slicing method. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Semiconductor wafers are generally formed by slicing ingots, which are constituted by silicon monocrystals, into a predetermined thickness using a wire saw or the like. An example of one method to slice the ingots will now be described. As shown in FIG. 3, an ingot  13  is lifted out of a crucible (not shown) and machined cylindrically. An intermediate plate  20 , which is made of carbon or the like, is adhered to the cylindrical surface of the ingot  13 . A support plate  21  (FIG. 6) is adhered to the upper surface of the intermediate plate  20  with a glass insulating plate  21   a  arranged therebetween. As shown in FIG. 13, the ingot  13  is mounted on a wire saw  326  by way of the support plate  21 . 
     The wire saw  326  includes a plurality of rollers  327 , a wire  328  wound spirally around the rollers  327  with a predetermined pitch between each winding, and supply pipes  329  through which slurry containing abrasive grains is supplied to the wire  328 . As shown in FIG. 8, the wire  328  is drawn in either a single direction or two directions while the slurry, which includes abrasive grains, is supplied to the wire  328 . 
     In this state, the wire  328  is pressed against the ingot  13 . 
     This enables the wire saw  326  to slice the ingot  13  and produce a plurality of wafers  13   a  simultaneously. 
     The silicon monocrystals, in the form of ingots, have an accurate lattice structure. Such monocrystals have certain crystal planes and crystal orientations. The physical and chemical characteristics of the ingot are affected by the crystal orientation of the monocrystals. The crystal orientation refers to a direction perpendicular to the crystal plane. Prior to the slicing, the crystal orientation of the ingot with respect to the axis of the ingot differs from one ingot to another. Accordingly, slicing ingots having different crystal orientations in the same manner results in the wafers having differing characteristics since the relationship between the sliced surface and the crystal plane is not constant in each wafer. 
     To cope with this problem, an ingot angle setting device is arranged on the wire saw. The support plate holding the ingot is secured to the angle setting device by bolts. In this state, the displacement of the ingot&#39;s crystal orientation with respect to the ingot&#39;s axis in horizontal and vertical directions is measured by a goniometer. The angle setting device then appropriately aligns the ingot&#39;s crystal orientation with the wire traveling direction. More specifically, the angle setting device pivots the ingot along a horizontal plane and along a vertical plane so as to align the crystal orientation of the ingot with a vertical plane perpendicular to each winding of the wire. In other words, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 50, in the slicing step of the prior art, the ingot, to which the support plate is adhered, is first mounted on the wire saw. The crystal orientation of the ingot is then measured. Afterwards, the ingot is sliced apart into wafers. 
     However, it is required that each wire saw be provided with an angle setting device. Thus, when using a plurality of wire saws, the cost of the entire system including the wire saws is increased. Furthermore, the attachment of the ingots to the angle setting device is performed manually. This is burdensome for the operator and takes a great deal of time. As a result, attaching the ingots decreases the operational time of the wire saws. 
     A typical wafer production system includes an adhering step in which the above plates are adhered to the ingot, a mounting step in which the ingots are mounted on the wire saws, an adjusting step in which the crystal orientation of the ingots is measured and adjusted, and a slicing step in which the ingots are sliced. The wafer production system may further include a separating step in which the sliced wafers are separated from one another, a washing step in which the wafers are washed, an inspecting step in which the wafers are inspected, and other steps. In prior art production systems, these steps are performed in an off-line manner. Thus, the mounting, removing, and transporting of the ingots and wafers with respect to the associated apparatus is often performed manually. 
     However, there is a recent trend in production systems in which the dimensions (diameter and length) of the ingots are becoming larger. This has resulted in the manual mounting, removing, and transporting of the ingots and wafers becoming more burdensome. In addition, since the management of each step is performed manually, it is difficult to increase the manufacturing efficiency of the wafers while upgrading the quality of the wafers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to reduce the costs required for the entire wafer production system. 
     It is another object of the present invention to increase the operational time of an ingot slicing apparatus. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to automate the wafer production system to increase the manufacturing efficiency of the wafers and upgrade the quality of the wafers. 
     To achieve the above objects, a method for adhering support members to a cylindrical ingot is proposed. The ingot has a crystal orientation. A support plate is mounted on a machine for slicing the ingot. The method comprises rotating the ingot about a center axis thereof, the center axis being held to be parallel to a prescribed first plane so that the crystal orientation is placed in a plane parallel to the first plane, adjusting a position of one of the support plate and the ingot in the plane parallel to the first plane so that a mounting axis extending along a longitudinal direction of the support plate is aligned to the crystal orientation, and adhering the ingot to the support plate. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for adhering support members to a cylindrical ingot is proposed. The ingot has a crystal orientation. A support plate is mounted on a machine for slicing the ingot. The apparatus has a measuring device for measuring the crystal orientation of the ingot based on a diffraction of X-rays. Based on the measured crystal orientation, a rotating device rotates the ingot about a center axis thereof which is kept parallel to a prescribed first plane so that the crystal orientation is placed in a plane parallel to the first plane. Based on the measured crystal orientation, an adjusting device adjusts a position of one of the support plate and the ingot in the plane parallel to the first plane so that a mounting axis extending along a longitudinal direction of the support plate is aligned to the crystal orientation. An adhering device adheres the ingot to the support plate. 
     According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method for slicing a cylindrical ingot by a wire of a wire saw is proposed. The ingot has a crystal orientation. The method comprises rotating the ingot about a center axis thereof, the center axis being held to be parallel to a prescribed first plane so that the crystal orientation is placed in a plane parallel to the first plane, adjusting a position of one of the support plate and the ingot in the plane parallel to the first plane so that an mounting axis extending along a longitudinal direction of a support plate to be mounted to the wire saw is aligned to the crystal orientation, adhering the ingot to the support plate after the adjusting step, transferring the ingot carrying the support plate to the wire saw, mounting the support plate carried by the ingot to the wire saw with the mounting axis being perpendicular to the wire, and slicing the ingot mounted to the wire saw by way of the support plate. 
     According to a further aspect of the present invention, a system for simultaneously manufacturing a plurality of wafers by slicing a cylindrical ingot is proposed. The ingot is sliced by means of a wire saw with a support mounted thereto. The ingot has a crystal orientation. A measuring device measures the crystal orientation of the ingot. An adhering device adheres the support to a predetermined position in an outer peripheral surface of the ingot based on the measured crystal orientation. A dryer dries and solidifies an adhesive interposed between the ingot and the support. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The features of the present invention that are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description of the presently preferred embodiments together with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a wafer production system according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a controlling structure of the production system; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an ingot that is stored in the first stocker; 
     FIG. 4 is an explanatory drawing showing how the crystal orientation of the ingot is measured; 
     FIG. 5 is a side view showing an intermediate plate adhered to the ingot; 
     FIG. 6 is a side view showing a support plate adhered to the intermediate plate; 
     FIG. 7 is a front view showing the support plate adhered to the intermediate plate; 
     FIG. 8 is an explanatory drawing showing how the ingot is sliced by the wire saw; 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view showing the wafers stored in a cassette; 
     FIG. 10 is a partially cut-away view showing the wafers stored in the cassette; 
     FIG. 11 is a front view showing a goniometer, a first adhering apparatus, and a second adhering apparatus; 
     FIG. 12 is an explanatory drawing showing an automated guided vehicle; 
     FIG. 13 is a front view showing a wire saw; 
     FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic view showing a slurry management system; 
     FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a wafer processing apparatus; 
     FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing an inspecting apparatus; 
     FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the production system; 
     FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional front view showing an adhering apparatus and a goniometer according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional side view showing the adhering apparatus and the goniometer; 
     FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional side view showing the adhering apparatus and the goniometer; 
     FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional side view showing the adhering apparatus and the goniometer; 
     FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional plan view showing a rotating mechanism and a goniometer; 
     FIG. 23 is a plan view showing an adjusting mechanism; 
     FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing the ingot and the support plate; 
     FIG. 25 is an explanatory drawing showing how the crystal orientation of the ingot is measured; 
     FIG. 26 is an explanatory drawing showing how the crystal orientation of the ingot is measured; 
     FIG. 27 is an explanatory drawing showing how the crystal orientation of the ingot is measured; 
     FIG. 28 is a front view showing the support plate adhered to the ingot; 
     FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional side view showing an ingot mounting mechanism; 
     FIG. 30 is a partial plan view showing the ingot mounting mechanism; 
     FIG. 31 is a schematic drawing showing a controller; 
     FIG. 32 is a flowchart showing the adhering procedures when adhering the support plate to the ingot; 
     FIG. 33 is a flowchart showing the slicing procedures when slicing the ingots; 
     FIG. 34 is a perspective view showing the entire production system schematically; 
     FIG. 35 is a plan view showing a third embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 36 is a front view showing the third embodiment; 
     FIG.  37 ( a ) is a perspective view showing a pallet and an ingot; 
     FIG.  37 ( b ) is a perspective view showing the pallet and the ingot; 
     FIG. 38 is a cross-sectional view showing an adhering mechanism; 
     FIG. 39 is a cross-sectional view showing the adhering mechanism; 
     FIG. 40 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a support shaft; 
     FIG. 41 is a front view showing a plate feeding mechanism and an adhesive applying mechanism; 
     FIG. 42 is a plan view showing the plate feeding mechanism and the adhesive applying mechanism; 
     FIG. 43 is a plan view of a plate loading mechanism; 
     FIG. 44 is a flowchart showing the adhering procedures to adhere the support plate to the ingot; 
     FIG. 45 is a cross-sectional view showing a fourth embodiment according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 46 is a cross-sectional view showing a support plate adhering mechanism; 
     FIG. 47 is a perspective view showing the support plate adhering mechanism; 
     FIGS.  48 ( a )-( c ) are plan views showing the adhering procedures of the support plate; 
     FIG. 49 is a schematic plan view of a fifth embodiment according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 50 is a flowchart showing the procedures taken to slice ingots in the prior art. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An automated wafer production system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will hereafter be described with reference to FIGS. 1-17. A flowchart illustrated in FIG. 17 shows the operational flow of the production system. Each step of the production system will now be described in accordance with the flowchart. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the first stocker  311  has a plurality of racks  312 . An ingot  13  constituted by silicon monocrystals is temporarily stored on each rack  312 . As shown in FIG. 3, the peripheral surface of each ingot  13  is machined cylindrically at a prior step. A bar code  314 , on which production management data of the associated ingot  13  is recorded, is provided on the cylindrical surface of each ingot  13 . The production management data includes information such as the lot number, the ingot dimensions, and the ingot serial number. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 11, a goniometer  315 , a second adhering apparatus  316 , a first adhering apparatus  317 , and a drying apparatus  318  are arranged in front of the first stocker  311 . A belt conveyor  319  connects the first stocker  311  to the apparatuses  315 ,  316 ,  317 ,  318 . 
     The first stocker  311  includes a loading/unloading apparatus (not shown). When the loading or unloading of each ingot  13  is required, the loading/unloading apparatus performs the so-called first in first out processing. The loading/unloading apparatus transfers the ingot  13  from each rack  312  of the first stocker  311  onto the belt conveyor  319 . 
     The goniometer  315  measures the crystal orientation of each ingot  13  that is conveyed by the conveyor  319  from the associated rack  312  of the first stocker  311 . As shown in FIG. 4, the goniometer  315  irradiates the end face of the ingot with X-rays to measure the displacement of the crystal orientation (the direction indicated by line L 2  in FIG. 4) with respect to the center axis L 1  of the ingot  13  in horizontal and vertical directions. 
     Based on the crystal orientation measured by the goniometer  315 , the second adhering apparatus  316  applies an adhesive to several sections on the cylindrical surface of the ingot to adhere an intermediate plate  20 , which is made of carbon or the like, onto the ingot, as illustrated in FIG.  5 . More specifically, the second adhering apparatus  316  adheres the intermediate plate  20  onto the ingot  13  so as to have the crystal orientation of the ingot  13  aligned along a horizontal plane when the ingot  13  is mounted on a wire saw  326 . 
     Based on the crystal orientation measured by the goniometer  315 , the first adhering apparatus  317  applies an adhesive to the intermediate plate  20  to adhere a support plate  21  onto the intermediate plate  20  with a glass insulating plate  21   a  arranged in between, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. More specifically, the first adhering apparatus  317  adheres the support plate  21  to the intermediate plate  20  so as to have the crystal orientation of the ingot  13  aligned with a plane that is perpendicular to each winding of a wire  328  when the ingot  13  is mounted on the wire saw  326 . There are cases in other embodiments of the present invention in which the insulating plate  21   a , which is arranged between the intermediate plate  20  and the support plate  21  in this embodiment, may not be provided. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1,  6 , and  7 , the drying apparatus  318  blows heated air against the ingot  13  after the plates  20 ,  21 ,  21   a  are adhered thereto to dry the ingot  13 . The drying apparatus  318  then blows cool air against the ingot  13  to solidify the adhesive. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1,  3 , and  7 , a first data writing apparatus  322  is arranged near the outlet of the drying apparatus  318 . The writing apparatus  322  reads the production management data from the bar code  314  provided on the ingot  314 . The data is written into another bar code  323  and applied to the side surface of the support plate  21 . During this procedure, a computer  339 , which serves as a central management apparatus, judges which wire saw  326  is most appropriate for slicing the ingot  13  based on the management data. The writing apparatus  322  then adds the datum containing the number of the designated wire saw  326  to the bar code  323 . 
     A second stocker  324  is arranged adjacent to the first stocker  311  and along the belt conveyor  319 . The second stocker  324  is provided with a plurality of racks  325 . The ingots  13 , which the plates  20 ,  21 ,  21   a  are adhered to, are stored on the racks  325 . The second stocker  324  is provided with a loading/unloading apparatus (not shown). When the loading or unloading of each ingot  13  is required, the loading/unloading apparatus performs the first in first out processing. 
     The plurality of wire saws  326  is arranged in two rows with a predetermined interval between one another on the opposite side of the conveyor  319  with respect to the second stocker  324 . As shown in FIGS. 8 and 13, each wire saw  326  includes a plurality of rollers  327 , a wire  328  wound spirally around the rollers  327  with a predetermined pitch between each winding, and supply pipes  329  through which slurry containing abrasive grains is supplied to the horizontally extending wire  328 . The wire  328  is drawn in either a single direction or two directions while the slurry, which includes abrasive grains, is supplied to the wire  328 . In this state, the wire  328  is pressed against the ingot  13 . This enables the wire saw  326  to slice the ingot  13  and produce a plurality of wafers  13   a  simultaneously with each wafer  13   a  having a predetermined thickness. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 14, a slurry management system  331  is arranged near the wire saws  326  to manage the slurry supplied to each wire saw  326  in a centralized manner. The slurry discharged from the wire saws  326  is sent to a recovering apparatus  331   c , which includes a decanter  331   a  and a filter  331   b , through a pipe C 2 . The decanter  331   a  receives the slurry sent through the pipe C 2  and separates the granular components that are smaller than the abrasive grains (cutting chips, fragmented abrasive grains, metal particles, etc.) and dispersing liquid from the slurry to recover abrasive grains, which may be recycled. The dispersing liquid containing the small granular components is strained by the filter  331   b . This sieves out the granular components and recovers the dispersing liquid. 
     The abrasive grains and the dispersing liquid recovered by the recovering apparatus  331   c  is sent to a mixing tank  331   d  through a pipe C 3 . A hopper  331   e  is provided to reserve abrasive grains that are supplied to the mixing tank  331   d . An oil tank  331   f  is provided to reserve dispersing liquid that is supplied to the mixing tank  331   f . The computer  339  controls the percentage content of the abrasive grains contained in the slurry through a controller  429 . The controller  429  adjusts the amount of the abrasive grains from the hopper  331   e  and the amount of the dispersing liquid from the oil tank  331   f  that are supplied to the mixing tank  331   d . This enables the slurry, which is produced in the mixing tank  331   d  and sent to each wire saw  326  through a pipe C 1 , to maintain a high slicing capability. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 12, a transporter  332 , or an automated guided vehicle (AGV), is provided in the system. A reflective tape  332   a  (FIG.  12 ), serving to mark a traveling route, extends between the two rows of the wire saws  326 . The transporter  332  travels automatically along the traveling route. A transferring robot  332   d  having a pair of arms  332   b ,  332   c  is mounted on the transporter  332 . The computer  339  commands the robot  332   d  to provide the wire saws  326  with the ingots  13  from the second stocker  324  so that the ingots  13  may be sliced into wafers  13   a . The computer  339  also commands the robot  332   d  to retrieve the sliced ingots  13  (the wafers  13   a ) from the wire saws  326  and transport them to a wafer processing apparatus  333 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 15, the wafer processing apparatus  333  is located adjacent to the wire saws  326 . The ingots  13  that have been sliced by the wire saws  326  are sent to the processing apparatus  333  one at a time by the transporter  332 . Each ingot  13  is first washed by a prewashing apparatus  333   a . A removing apparatus  333   b  then removes the intermediate plate  20 , the insulating plate  21   a , and the support plate  21  from the ingot  13 . Afterwards, a separating apparatus  333   c  separates the sliced wafers  13   a  from one another and stores the wafers  13   a  in a cassette  334 . The wafers  13   a  accommodated in the cassette  334  are washed by a washing apparatus  333   d  and then dried by a drying apparatus  333   e.    
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, a second data writing apparatus  335  is arranged near the inlet of the processing apparatus  333 . Before each ingot  13  is processed in the wafer processing apparatus  333 , the writing apparatus  335  reads the production management data from the bar code  323  on the support plate  21 . The data is written into another bar code  336  and applied to the outer wall of the cassette  334  accommodating the associated wafers  13   a , as shown in FIG.  10 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 16, an inspecting apparatus  337  is arranged near the outlet of the processing apparatus  333 . A handling robot  337   a  transfers the cassettes  334 , which are conveyed from the processing apparatus  333  by a conveyor  338 , to the inspecting apparatus  337  one at a time. The inspecting apparatus  337  removes each wafer  13   a  from the cassette  334  and inspects its quality. The wafer  13   a  is returned to the cassette  334  only if it has the required quality. The inspecting apparatus  337  sends data including the inspection results and the number of wafers  13   a  to the computer  339  each time the inspection of each wafer  13   a  in a single cassette  334  is completed. 
     The computer  339  has an operation panel  340  and a display  341 . As shown in FIG. 2, the computer  339  is connected to the first stocker  311 , the goniometer  315 , the second adhering apparatus  316 , the first adhering apparatus  317 , the drying apparatus  318 , the second stocker  324 , the wire saws  326 , the slurry management system  331 , a wafer processing system  333 , and the inspecting apparatus  337  by controllers  421 ,  422 ,  423 ,  424 ,  425 ,  426 ,  427 ,  428 ,  429 , respectively. During production of the wafers  13   a , the computer  339  sends command signals to the controllers  421 - 429  to control the associated apparatuses  311 ,  315 - 318 ,  324 ,  326 ,  331 ,  333 ,  337 . The computer  339  also evaluates the slicing performance of each wire saw  326  by analyzing the inspection data of the wafers  13   a  that is sent from the inspecting apparatus  337 . 
     The operation of the production system having the above structure will now be described. In the production system, the computer  339  sequentially controls the apparatus associated to each step to obtain the wafers  13   a  from the ingots  13 . That is, the ingots  13  are retrieved one at a time from the first stocker  311  and conveyed sequentially to the goniometer  315 , the second adhering apparatus  316 , the first adhering apparatus  317 , and the drying apparatus  318  by the conveyor  319 . 
     The goniometer  315  irradiates X-rays to measure the crystal orientation of each ingot  13 . The second adhering apparatus  316  adheres the intermediate plate  20  to the cylindrical surface of the ingot  13  in accordance with the crystal orientation, as shown in FIG.  5 . The first adhering apparatus  317  adheres the support plate  21  and the insulating plate  21   a  to the intermediate plate  20  in accordance with the crystal orientation, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The drying apparatus  318  dries and solidifies the adhesive applied by the adhering apparatuses  316 ,  317 . 
     The first data writing apparatus  322  than reads the data contained in the bar code  314  on the ingot  13 . The read data and newly added data is written into another bar code  323  and applied to the side surface of the support plate  21 . The ingot  13  is then temporarily stored in the second stocker  324  on one of the racks  325  with the plates  20 ,  21  adhered thereon. 
     The ingots  13  stored on the racks  325  of the second stocker  324  are retrieved and sent to the designated wire saw  326  by the transporter  332  one at a time. Each ingot  13  is then sliced into wafers  13   a  by the wire saw  326 . During the slicing, the slurry management system  331  supplies slurry, which is produced by the management system  331 , to the wire saw  326 . The sliced ingot  13  is then transported from the wire saw  326  to the wafer processing apparatus  333  by the transporter  332 . 
     The processing apparatus  333  removes the plates  20 ,  21  from the sliced ingot  13 . The wafers  13   a  are then separated from one another and placed in one of the cassettes  334 . The wafers  13   a  are washed and dried afterward. The cassette  334  accommodating the wafers  13   a  therein is conveyed to the inspecting apparatus  337  by the conveyor  338 . The inspecting apparatus  337  takes out each wafer  13   a  from the cassette and inspects its quality. The inspection data obtained by the inspecting apparatus  337  is sent to the computer  339  and analyzed to have the slicing performance of each wire saw  326  evaluated. 
     The advantageous effects of the above embodiment will now be described. 
     (1) Since the computer  339  controls the apparatuses associated to each step, the mounting, removing, and transporting may be performed automatically. Accordingly, this reduces the burden imposed on the operator and improves the production efficiency and quality of the wafers  13   a.    
     (2) The ingots  13  are temporarily stored in the first and second stockers  311 ,  324 . Therefore, the ingots  13  may be held in a stand-by state in the stockers  311 ,  324  when a long period of time is required for the wire saws  326  to slice the ingot  13 . Accordingly, the production system may be operated smoothly. 
     (3) The production management system data and other information related to each ingot  13  is relayed from the bar code  314  on the ingot  13  to the bar code  323  on the support plate  21  and then onto the bar code  336  on the associated cassette  34 . As a result, the information included in these bar codes  314 ,  323 ,  336  enables each step to be managed properly. 
     (4) The management of the slurry sent to each wire saw  326  is centralized by the slurry management system  331 . That is, the recovering apparatus  331   c  separates the small granular components from the slurry discharged from the wire saws  326  and recovers the abrasive grains and the dispersing liquid that are suitable for the slicing of the ingots  13 . Accordingly, the abrasive grains and the dispersing liquid may be recycled. This decreases the necessary amount of the abrasive grains and the dispersing liquid and reduces industrial waste. When the recovered abrasive grains and dispersing liquid are returned to the mixing tank  331   d , the amount of abrasive grains fed by the hopper  331   e  and the amount of dispersing liquid supplied by the oil tank  331   f  is controlled so that the proportion of the abrasive grains in the slurry in the mixing tank  331   d  is adjusted to an adequate value. This enables the wire saws  326  to be supplied with slurry having a high slicing capability. Furthermore, the slicing of each ingot  13  and the mixing of the slurry may be performed independently in each wire saw  326 . Accordingly, the supplying of the slurry to the wire saw  326  and the slicing of the ingots  13  may be performed continuously in each wire saw  326 . This improves efficiency of the slicing process. 
     (5) Each ingot  13  is transported to and from the designated wire saw  326  by the transporter  332 . Accordingly, large ingots  13  may be transported automatically between the second stocker  324 , the wire saw  326 , and the wafer processing apparatus  333 . In addition, the employment of the transporter  332  lessens obstacles such as conveyors that are arranged on the floor. This enables the operator to move more freely on the floor and facilitates maintenance of the wire saws  326  and other apparatuses. 
     (6) The slicing performance of each wire saw  326  may be evaluated through the inspection data from the inspecting apparatus  337 . Accordingly, the slicing condition of each wire saw  326  may be maintained optimally. 
     (7) The intermediate and support plates  20 ,  21  are adhered to each ingot  13  with respect to the crystal orientation of the ingot  13  outside the wire saws  326 . Therefore, it is unnecessary to provide an angle setting device, of the like, for each wire saw  326 . Accordingly, equipment costs required for the entire production system is reduced. In addition, the mounting of each ingot  13  to the designated wire saw  326  may be automated. This improves the operational rate of the wire saws  326 . 
     (8) The conveyor  319 , which conveys the ingots  13 , has a simple structure. The conveyor  319  conveys each ingot  13  to the first and second adhering apparatuses  316 ,  317  in exactly the same state in which its crystal orientation was measured by the goniometer  315 . Accordingly, the intermediate plate  20  is accurately adhered to the ingot  13  in accordance with the measured crystal orientation. 
     (9) The intermediate plate  20  and the support plate  21  are removed from the sliced ingot  13  in the wafer processing apparatus  333 . The wafers  13   a  are separated from one another and then stored in one of the cassettes  334  to be washed and dried. Accordingly, the washing and drying of the wafers  13   a  may be performed efficiently. 
     A second embodiment according to the present invention will hereafter be described with reference to FIGS. 18-34. In this embodiment, the apparatus employed to adhere the intermediate and support plates  20 ,  21  to the ingots  13  will be described in detail. 
     The ingots  13 , the intermediate plates  20 , the insulating plates  21   a , and the support plates  21  will be described with reference to FIGS. 24 and 28. The ingots  13  are constituted by silicon monocrystals and the intermediate, insulating, and support plates  20 ,  21   a ,  21  are made of a material that may be cut by wires such as carbon. 
     As shown in FIG. 28, an adhesive adheres the arched bottom surface of the intermediate plate  20  to the cylindrical surface of each ingot  13 . The glass insulating plate  21   a  is arranged horizontally on the upper surface of the intermediate plate  20  with an adhesive horizontally adhering the support plate  21  to the upper surface of the insulating plate  21   a . The insulating plate  21   a  is adhered to the support plate  21  beforehand. 
     As shown in FIG. 24, the direction perpendicular to the crystal plane  15  of each ingot  13 , that is, the crystal orientation L 2 , is inclined with respect to the axis of the ingot  13 , a horizontal plane  18 , and a vertical plane  19 . The horizontal displacement of the crystal orientation L 2  with respect to the center axis L 1  on the face ends of the ingot  13  is denoted as  16 . The vertical displacement of the crystal orientation L 2  with respect to the center axis L 1  is denoted as  17 . The maximum inclination angle of the crystal orientation with respect to the center axis L 1  is actually about ±3 degrees. The support plate  21  includes a hypothetical axis, or a mounting axis  23  that extends in the longitudinal direction of the plate  21 . The side surfaces of the support plate  21  extends parallel to the mounting axis  23 . An adhering method and an adhering apparatus employed in this embodiment adjusts the relative position of the ingot  13  and the support plate  21  so that the crystal orientation L 2  becomes parallel to the mounting axis  23  when adhering the plate  21  to the ingot  13 . 
     The production system will now be described with reference to FIG.  34 . Ingots  13  that are to undergo slicing are stored in a stocker  25 . The stocker  25  is provided with a loading/unloading apparatus (not shown). The loading/unloading apparatus transfers the ingots  13  in the stocker  25  onto a belt conveyor  26 . An adhering apparatus  27  is arranged at the distal end of the conveyor  26 . The adhering apparatus  27  adjusts the relative position of the crystal orientation L 2  of each ingot and the associated intermediate and support plates  20 ,  21 . The adhering apparatus  27  also adheres the intermediate plate  20  and the support plate  21  to the ingot  13 . A goniometer  28  is arranged near the adhering apparatus  27  to measure the crystal orientation of each ingot  13 . 
     Another belt conveyor  29  is connected to the middle of the belt conveyor  26 . A drying apparatus  30  is arranged along the belt conveyor  29 . The drying apparatus  30  dries and solidifies the adhesive applied between the ingot  13  and the intermediate plate  20  and between the intermediate plate  20  and the insulating plate  21   a . After passing through the drying apparatus  30 , each ingot  13  having the support plate  21  adhered thereon is retrieved from the conveyor  29  and transported to the designated wire saw  326  by the transporter  332 . The ingot  13  is sliced by the wire saw  326  and then transferred to the wafer processing apparatus  333  by the transporter  332 . The processing apparatus  333  removes the plates  20 ,  21  from the sliced ingot  13 , separates the wafers  13   a , and then washes the wafers  13   a.    
     The structure of the transporter  332 , the wire saws  326 , and the wafer processing apparatus  333  are identical to those employed in the first embodiment and will thus not be described here. Although not shown in FIG. 34, the data writing apparatuses  322 ,  335 , the slurry management system  331 , the inspecting apparatus  337 , and the computer  339  and other apparatuses that are employed in the first embodiment may also be employed in this embodiment. 
     The adhering apparatus  27  will now be described with reference to FIGS. 18-23. The adhering apparatus  27  includes a rotating mechanism  38 , a carriage  39 , a first adjusting mechanism  40 , a second adhering mechanism  71 , a second adjusting mechanism  91 , and a first adhering mechanism  103 . The first rotating mechanism  38  rotates the ingot  13  about its center axis L 1 . The carriage  39  moves the rotating mechanism  38  reciprocally between a position where the adhering of the support plates  20  is carried out and the goniometer  28 . The first adjusting mechanism  40  is combined with the rotating mechanism  38  and rotates each ingot  13  so that its crystal orientation L 2  becomes horizontal. The second adhering mechanism  71  adheres the intermediate plate  20  to the cylindrical surface of the ingot  13 , the position of which has been adjusted by the first adjusting mechanism  40 . The second adjusting mechanism  91  moves the mounting axis  23  of the support plate  21  horizontally so that it becomes parallel to the crystal orientation L 2  of the associated ingot  13 . The first adhering mechanism  103  adheres the support plate  21 , the position of which has been adjusted by the second adjusting mechanism  91 , to the intermediate plate  20 . 
     The rotating mechanism  38  and the carriage  39  will now be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 19, a pair of parallel guide rails  41  are fixed to the frame  11 . The rails  41  enable a moving platform  42  to move reciprocally in horizontal directions. A pair of shaft holding plates  43  are fixed to the upper surface of the platform  42 . A plurality of support rollers  44  (seven are employed in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 22) are rotatably supported between the plates  43 . As shown in FIG. 18, a guide roller  45  is located between the rightmost support roller  44 , as viewed in the same drawing, and the distal end of the conveyor  26 . The guide roller  45  enables each ingot  13  to be transferred to the support rollers  44  from the conveyor  26 . As shown in FIGS. 18 and 22, a restricting piece  46  is fixed to the upper surface at the left end of the platform  42 . The restricting piece  46  is abutted by the left end of each ingot  13 . This enables positioning of the ingot  13  held on the support rollers  44 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 19 and 22, a pair of support plates  47  are fixed to the upper surface of the platform  42 . A pair of clamp rollers  48  are rotatably supported between the two support plates  47 . As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, a pair of support bodies  49  are fixed to the upper surface of the platform  42 . A pair of parallel guide rods  50 , which extend horizontally and have a predetermined interval between each other, are supported between the support bodies  49 . A support frame  52  moves reciprocally in a horizontal direction along the guide rods  50  by way of a plurality of support members  51 . The support frame  52  is moved by a rod  54  of a cylinder  53 . 
     A pair of drive rollers  55  are supported between the two side walls of the support frame  52  to rotate the ingot  13 . When the ingot  13  is held on the support rollers  44 , the cylinder  53  moves the support frame  52  toward the clamp rollers  48 . This enables the ingot  13  to be clamped between the clamp and drive rollers  48 ,  55 . The ingot  13  is slightly lifted from the rollers  44  when clamped between the rollers  48 ,  55 . As shown in FIGS. 18,  19 , and  22 , a servo motor  56  is secured to one of the side walls of the support frame  52 . A belt  59  extends between a drive pulley  57 , which is coupled to the motor  56 , and driven pulleys  58 , which are coupled to one end of the shafts supporting the drive rollers  55 . Accordingly, the servo motor  56  rotates the drive rollers  55 . An idler pulley  60  is provided for the motor  56 . A rotary encoder  61  is coupled to the servo motor to detect the rotational angle of the ingot  13 . 
     The second adhering mechanism  71  will now be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, a column  72  is erected on the frame  11  adjacent to the rotating mechanism  38 . A pair of vertically extending guide rails  73  are fixed to the column  72 . A support arm  74  extending horizontally is lifted and lowered along each rail  73 . A bracket  75  is secured to the ends of each support arm  74 . A pair of guide rails  76  are supported by the ends of each bracket  75 . The guide rails  76  extend horizontally and are substantially parallel to the center axis L 1  of the ingot  13  clamped by the rollers  48 ,  55 . A moving member  77  moves reciprocally along each pair of rails  76 . A holder  78  is attached to the moving members  77 . A transferring means (not shown) carries each intermediate plate  20  to a position where the plate contacts the bottom surface of the holder  78 . In this state, the intermediate plate  20  is clamped by a pair of clamp plates  79  and attached to the bottom surface of the holder  78 . The clamp plates  79  are moved toward and away from each other by a cylinder  80  to clamp or release the intermediate plate  20 . 
     A motor  82  extending downward is fixed to the upper end of the support arm  74 . An eccentric pin  84  is coupled to the motor  82  by way of a connecting member  83 . A groove  781 , which extends horizontally and perpendicular to the guide rails  76 , is defined in the upper surface of the holder  78 . The eccentric pin  84  is engaged with the groove  781 . Accordingly, when the motor  82  rotates the connecting member  83 , the eccentric pin  84  causes the holder  78  to move along the guide rails  76 . The motor  82 , the eccentric pin  84 , the guide rails  76 , and the holder  78 , together with other parts constitute an oscillating mechanism  89  that ensures the adhesion between the ingot  13  and the intermediate plate  20 . 
     A ball screw  85  is supported inside the column  72  extending vertically. The ball screw  85  is rotated in forward and reverse directions by a servo motor  86  fixed to the upper end of the column  72 . A nut  87  is screwed into the ball screw  85 . The nut  87  is engaged with an engaging plate  88 , which is attached to the basal end of the support arm  74 . Accordingly, when the rotation of the servo motor  86  lowers or lifts the nut  87 , the support arm  74  is lowered or lifted along the guide rails  73 . 
     The second adjusting mechanism  91  will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 19 and 23. A support plate  92  extending horizontally is secured to the middle portion of the column  72 . An adjusting plate  93  is arranged on the upper surface of the support plate  92 . A connecting pin  94  enables the adjusting plate  93  to pivot horizontally. A servo motor  95  extending horizontally is supported on the support plate  92 . A screw rod constituted by aligned first and second screws  97 ,  98  are connected to the output shaft of the motor  95  by way of a universal joint  96 . The first screw  97  is screwed through an actuating piece  99 . A rotating element  100  fixed to the lower end of the actuating piece  99  is pivotally fit into a hole  921  defined in the support plate  92 . The second screw  98  is screwed through an actuating piece  101 . A rotating element  102 , which is fixed to the lower end of the actuating piece  101 , is pivotally fit into a hole  931  defined in the adjusting plate  92 . Accordingly, when the motor  95  rotates the first and second screws  97 ,  98 , the adjusting plate  93  is pivoted horizontally about the shaft  94 . The screw pitch of the first and second screws  97 ,  98  differ from each other. This difference enables fine adjustment of the pivoting angle of the adjusting plate  93 . 
     The support plate  21  is carried to a position above the ingot  13  by the first adhering mechanism  103 , shown in FIG.  21 . The first adhering mechanism  103  includes a column  105 , an elevating body  107 , and an electromagnet  108 . The column  105  is moved horizontally by a driving mechanism (not shown) along guide rails  104  extending horizontally. The elevating body  107  is lifted and lowered by an elevating mechanism (not shown) along guide rails  106  that are secured to the column  105 . The electromagnet  108  is attached to the bottom surface of the elevating body  107  to lift the support plate  21  with its magnetic force. 
     The goniometer  28  will now be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 18 and 22, the ingot  13  held on the support rollers  44  of the rotating mechanism  38  is moved to a measuring position in the goniometer  28  by moving the platform  42  of the carriage  39  along the guide rails  41 . An X-ray projector  111 , which irradiates X-rays horizontally at a predetermined angle toward the end face of the ingot  13 , and an X-ray interceptor  112 , which intercepts the irradiated X-rays, are arranged in the goniometer  28 . The projector  111  and the interceptor  112  are connected to each other by a bracket  113  so that the angle between the projector  111  and the interceptor  112  coincides with a predetermined angle. The bracket  113  is fixed to a table  114 . An adjusting apparatus  115  pivots or lifts and lowers the table  114  to adjust the irradiation angle and irradiation position of the X-rays with respect to the end face of the ingot  13 . The interceptor  112  is connected to a judging device  116 , which judges whether the output data of the intercepted X-rays is maximum or not, and to an angle computing apparatus  117 . The computing apparatus  117  computes the inclination θ of the crystal orientation in the horizontal direction with respect to the center axis L 1  of the ingot  13  from the output data obtained by reflecting the X-rays at four sections on the end face of the ingot  13 . The inclination e is computed through a method described in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-255948. 
     As shown in FIG. 31, the adhering apparatus  27  includes a controller  118 . The controller  118  controls the motors  56 ,  82 ,  86 ,  95 , a drive motor  119  of the belt conveyor  26 , a motor  120  of the carriage  39 , and the goniometer  28 . The angle computing apparatus  117  computes the rotational angle of the ingot  13  and the adjusting plate  93  based on the rotation of the motors  56 ,  95  and sends the computed results to the controller  118 . 
     A mounting mechanism  121  provided for each wire saw  326  will now be described in detail with respect to FIGS. 29 and 30. The mounting mechanism  121  is used to hold the support plate  21 , which is adhered to the ingot  13 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, a support block  122  is secured to an elevating column (not shown) of the wire saw  326 . A fixed holder  123  is fastened to the support block  122  by bolts, or the like. A movable holder  124  is connected to the bottom surface of the fixed holder  123  by a connecting shaft  125 . The movable holder  124  pivots horizontally. An adjusting mechanism  126  is provided between the fixed and movable holders  123 ,  124  to adjust the rotational angle of the movable holder  124  along the horizontal plane. 
     The adjusting mechanism  126  has a rotational knob  129  that is supported by the fixed holder  123 . A screw rod constituted by aligned first and second screws  127 ,  128  is connected to the knob  129  by way of a universal joint  130 . The first screw  127  is screwed through an actuating piece  131 . A rotating element  132  fixed to the lower end of the actuating piece  131  is pivotally supported by the fixed holder  123 . The second screw  128  is screwed through an actuating piece  133 . A rotating element  134  fixed to the lower end of the actuating piece  133  is pivotally supported by the movable holder  124 . Accordingly, when the knob  129  rotates the first and second screws  127 ,  128 , the movable holder  124  is pivoted horizontally about the shaft  125 . 
     The support plate  21 , to which the ingot  13  is secured, is attached to the bottom surface of the movable holder  124 . 
     A pair of support cylinders  142  extending downward is fixed to the support block  122 . A rod  143  is inserted through each cylinder  142 . A mounting piece  144  is formed integrally with the bottom end of each rod  143 . Each mounting piece  144  is provided with an attaching groove  144   a , in which the support plate  121  may be inserted. Spacers  145  are arranged under the bottom of the movable holder  124 . A pressing body  141   b  is movably arranged in the right groove  144   a , as viewed in FIG. 29. A cylinder  141   a  moves the pressing body  141   b  horizontally. The support plate  21  inserted in the grooves  144   a  is pressed by the pressing body  141   b  and abutted against the wall of the left groove  144   a , as viewed in FIG.  29 . This enables the support plate  21  to be positioned horizontally. 
     As shown in FIG. 29, a pair of cam members  146 ,  147  are accommodated in the support block  122 . A cylinder  148  is fixed to the upper surface of the support block  122 . An air cylinder  149  extending downward is fixed to the upper end of the cylinder  148 . An actuating rod  151  is connected to a rod  150  of the cylinder  149 . A cam follower  152  and a cam pin  153  are coupled to the lower end of the actuation rod  151 . An inclined cam groove  154  and cam surface  155  are defined in the cam member  146 . In the same manner, an inclined cam groove  156  and cam surface  157  are defined in the cam member  147 . The cam follower  152  contacts both cam surfaces  155 ,  157 . A cam pin  153  is engaged with both cam grooves  154 ,  156 . 
     When the cylinder  149  lowers the actuating rod  151 , the cam follower  152  and the cam pin  153  are lowered. This abuts the cam follower  152  against the cam surfaces  155 ,  157  and causes the cam members  146 ,  147  to move away from each other. As the cam members  146 ,  147  move away from each other, the cam surfaces  158 ,  159  lift the associated rods  143 . This lifts the associated mounting piece  144  and causes the support plate  21  to be clamped between the mounting pieces  144  and the spacers  145 . The clamping of the support plate  21  positions the plate  21  along the vertical direction. 
     Contrarily, when the cylinder  149  raises the actuating rod  151 , the cam follower  152  and the cam pin  153  are raised. This moves the cam pin  153  along the cam grooves  154 ,  156  and moves the cam members  146 ,  147  toward each other. As the cam members  146 ,  147  move toward each other, the cam surfaces  158 ,  159  lower the associated rods  143 . This lowers the associated mounting piece  144  and causes the support plate  21  to be released. 
     Rotation of the knob  129  enables fine adjustment of the angles of the movable holder  124  and the attaching pieces  144  with respect to the horizontal plane. The adjustment cancels the dimensional margins of the mounting mechanism  121  that may be produced when assembling its parts. More specifically, the angles of the movable holder  124  and the attaching plates  144  with respect to the horizontal plane are finely adjusted so that the attaching groove  144   a  of each mounting piece  144  extends perpendicular to the drawing direction of the wire  328  employed by the associated wire saw  326  (FIG.  30 ). 
     The method for adhering the intermediate and support plates  20 ,  21  to the ingot  13  will now be described with reference to FIG.  32 . 
     The ingot  13  retrieved from the stocker  25  is conveyed by the belt conveyor  26  and transferred onto the plurality of support rollers  44  of the carriage  39 , as shown in FIG. 18 (step S 1 ). The ingot  13  held on the support rollers  44  is positioned with respect to the carriage  39  when it abuts against the restricting piece  46 . 
     As shown in FIG. 19, the drive rollers  55  are moved toward the clamp rollers  48  to clamp the ingot  13  between the rollers  48 ,  55 . When clamped, the ingot  13  is lifted from the support rollers  44 . The carriage  39  holding the ingot  13  is then moved into the goniometer  28  (step S 2 ). When the end face of the ingot  13  reaches a predetermined position at where its crystal orientation is measured (the position shown by the double-dotted line in FIGS.  18  and  22 ), a braking apparatus (not shown) fixes the position of the platform  42  of the carriage  39 . 
     The ingot  13  is then rotated by the rotating mechanism  38  to measure its crystal orientation L 2  (step S 3 ). More specifically, the drive rollers  55  are rotated by the servo motor  56 . This, in turn, rotates the ingot  13 , which is supported by the four rollers  48 ,  55 . During the rotation, the projector  111  irradiates X-rays against the end face of the ingot  13  while the interceptor  112  intercepts the reflected X-rays. The judging device  116  judges whether the output data of the X-rays intercepted by the interceptor  112  is maximum or not. If maximum, the rotation of the ingot  13  is stopped. 
     As an example, FIG. 26 shows the crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  inclined with respect to the horizontal plane  18 . From this state, the ingot  13  is rotated in the direction indicated by arrow A. When the crystal orientation L 2  becomes aligned with the horizontal plane  18 , as shown in FIG. 27, the output data of the X-rays intercepted by the interceptor  112  becomes maximum. Accordingly, the judging device  116  detects the maximum data and stops the rotation of the ingot  13 . 
     When the rotation of the ingot  13  is stopped, the value detected by the encoder  61 , which is coupled to the servo motor  56 , is initialized. From this state, the ingot  13  is rotated four times, 90 degrees each time by the motor  56 . The output data of the reflected X-rays is read for every 90 degrees. Based on the data taken at four angles, the computing apparatus  117  computes the inclination θ (FIG. 25) of the crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  in the horizontal direction with respect to the center axis L 1  of the ingot  13  (step S 4 ). 
     After the projector  111  stops irradiating X-rays, the carriage  39  supporting the ingot  13  is moved out of the goniometer  28  along the guide rails  41  toward a position located directly below the second adhering mechanism  71  (step S 5 ). The intermediate plate  20  is held by the holder  78  of the second adhering mechanism  71 . The ingot  13  on the carriage  39  is located directly below the intermediate plate  20 . 
     The motor  86  than lowers the arms  74 , by which the intermediate plate  20  is held, along the guide rails  73 . As shown in FIG. 20, when the intermediate plate  20  contacts the ingot  13 , the lowering of the arms  74  is stopped. An adhesive is applied to the bottom surface of the intermediate plate  20  beforehand. Thus, the contact adheres the intermediate plate  20  and the ingot  13  to each other with their axes substantially aligned. The motor  82  of the oscillating mechanism  89  reciprocates the holder  78  along the center axis L 1  of the ingot  13 . The reciprocation eliminates bubbles contained in the adhesive and enables secure adhesion of the intermediate plate  20  within a short period of time (step S 6 ). 
     When the adhesion of the intermediate plate  20  is completed, the cylinder  80  is actuated to release the intermediate plate  20  from the clamp plates  79 . Afterwards, the support arms  74  are lifted by the motor  86  to a stand-by position where the holder  78  becomes located at the top end of the column  72 . 
     The inclination e (FIG. 25) of the crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  along the horizontal plane  18  with respect to the center axis L 1  of the ingot  13  is computed in step S 4 . The servo motor  95  of the second adjusting mechanism  91  is driven to adjust the horizontal inclination α of the adjusting plate  93  with respect to the center axis L 1  of the ingot  13  so that it coincides with the inclination θ of the crystal orientation L 2  (step S 7 ), as shown by the double-dotted line in FIG.  23 . 
     The support plate  21 , to which the insulating plate  21   a  is adhered beforehand, is positioned above the ingot  13  by the first adhering mechanism  103 . An adhesive is applied to the bottom surface of the insulating plate  21   a . The side surface of the support plate  21  is abutted against the side surface of the adjusting plate  93 . This enables the crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  to be parallel to the mounting axis  23  of the support plate  21 . In other words, the crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  and the mounting axis  23  of the support plate  21  are aligned along the same vertical plane. In this state, the first adhering mechanism  103  releases the support plate  21  and places the support plate  21  on the intermediate plate  20 . This results in the support plate  21  being adhered to the intermediate plate  20  by the insulating plate  21   a  (step S 8 ). 
     The cylinder  53  then moves the drive rollers  53  away from the ingot  13  and releases the ingot  13  from the rollers  48 ,  55 . This places the ingot  13 , to which the support plate  21  is adhered, on the support rollers  44 . The ingot  13  is transferred to the belt conveyor  26  by the rotation of the support rollers  44  (step S 9 ). 
     The ingot  13  is then conveyed to the drying apparatus  30  by the conveyor  29  to dry the adhesive. Afterwards, the ingot  13  is sent to the designated wire saw  326  by the conveyor  29  and the transporter  332 . 
     When the adhesion is completed, the crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  and the mounting axis  23  of the support plate  21  is perpendicular to the plane of FIG.  28  and parallel to the horizontal plane  18 . The center axis L 1  of the ingot  13  is inclined by θ with respect to the crystal orientation L 2  along the horizontal plane  18  (FIG.  23 ). 
     The ingot  13  is transferred to the mounting mechanism  121  of the designated wire saw  326  from the transporter  332  by a transferring apparatus (not shown). As shown in FIG. 29, the support plate  21  on the ingot  13  is inserted into the mounting pieces  144  of the mounting mechanism  121 . The mounting pieces  144  then clamp and position the support plate  21  in the mechanism  121 . The ingot  13  is held by the mounting mechanism  121  so that the crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  is horizontal and perpendicular to the wire  328 . The ingot  13  is sliced by the wire  328  to simultaneously produce a plurality of thin wafers  13   a.    
     The crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  is aligned along a vertical plane that is perpendicular to the drawing direction (horizontal direction) of the wire  328  when the support plate  21  is attached to the mounting pieces  144  of the mounting pieces  144  in the wire saw  326 . Therefore, the sliced surfaces of each wafer  13   a  is parallel to the crystal plane of the ingot  13 . Accordingly, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 33, the ingot  13  is sliced into wafers  13   a  immediately after the ingot  13  is mounted on the wire saw  326  without adjusting the angle of the ingot  13 . 
     The advantageous effects of the second embodiment will now be described. 
     (1) The center axis L 1  of the ingot  13  is kept horizontal when rotating it to align the crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  along a horizontal plane. The ingot  21  and the support plate  21  are then adhered to each other with the crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  being parallel to the mounting axis  23  of the support plate  21 . Therefore, the ingot  13  may be sliced immediately and accurately merely by attaching the support plate  21  to the mounting mechanism  121  of the designated wire saw  326 . Accordingly, each wire saw  326  need not be provided with an angle setting device. As a result, this structure drastically reduces the equipment costs of the entire production system, especially when a plurality of wire saws  326  are employed. In addition, the ingot  13  is automatically attached to the mounting mechanism  121  of the designated wire saw  326  with the support plate  21  adhered thereon. This enables the mounting of the ingot  13  to be performed quickly and thus improves the operational rate of the wire saw  326 . 
     (2) The rotating mechanism  38 , which rotates the ingot  13  about its center axis L 1  is combined with a portion of the goniometer  28  and the first adjusting mechanism  40 , which aligns the crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  along a horizontal plane. This simplifies the structure of the production system. 
     (3) The ingot  13  is positioned at a predetermined position by the clamp-rollers  48  and the drive rollers  55 , and lifted from the support rollers  44 , simultaneously. This enables smooth rotation of the ingot  13  and allows accurate orientation measurement. 
     A third embodiment of the present invention will hereafter be described with reference to FIGS. 35-44. The structure of the adhering apparatus  27  in this embodiment differs from that employed in the second embodiment. In the third embodiment, parts that are identical to those employed in the second embodiment are denoted with the same numerals. 
     As shown in FIGS. 35 and 36, a loading conveyor  161  and an unloading conveyor  162 , which are constituted by belt conveyors, are arranged on each side of the adhering apparatus  27 . An ingot  13  is retrieved from a stocker similar to that employed in the second embodiment. The ingot  13  is conveyed by the loading conveyor  161  to a position opposed to the adhering apparatus  27 . When conveyed by the loading conveyor  161 , the ingot  13  is held on a pallet  163 , which is shown in FIG.  37 ( a ). After the adhering apparatus  27  adheres the intermediate plate  20  and the support plate  21  to the ingot  13 , the unloading conveyor  162  conveys the ingot  13  to a drying apparatus similar to that employed in the second embodiment. When conveyed by the unloading conveyor  162 , the ingot  13  is held on a pallet  164 , which is shown in FIG.  37 ( b ). 
     A first transferring mechanism  165  is provided above the adhering apparatus  27 , the loading conveyor  161 , and the unloading conveyor  162 . The transferring mechanism  165  includes a U-shaped frame  166 , a horizontal moving mechanism  167  supported by the frame  166 , an elevating mechanism  168  provided with cylinders and supported by the moving mechanism  167 , and a gripping mechanism  169  secured to the bottom end of the elevating mechanism  168 . When the pallet  163 , which the ingot  13  is held on, is conveyed to the position opposed to the adhering apparatus  27 , the gripping mechanism  169  clamps and lifts the ingot  13  from the pallet  163 . The first transferring mechanism  165  moves the ingot  13  horizontally to a transferring position P 1  (FIG. 39) to transfer the ingot  13  to a second transferring mechanism  181 . The first transferring mechanism  165  also retrieves the ingot  13  from the second transferring mechanism  181  at position P 1  by using the gripping mechanism  169  to clamp and lift the ingot  13 . The first transferring mechanism  165  then moves the ingot  13  horizontally to transfer the ingot  13  to the pallet  164 , which is standing by on the unloading conveyor  162 . 
     In the same manner as in the second embodiment, the adhering apparatus  27  includes the rotating mechanism  38 , the carriage  39 , the first adjusting mechanism  40 , the second adhering mechanism  71 , the second adjusting mechanism  91 , and the first adhering mechanism  103 . The adhering apparatus  27  further includes a first feeding mechanism  170 A and a second feeding mechanism  170 B. The first feeding mechanism  170 A feeds intermediate plates  20 , to which an adhesive is applied, to the second adhering mechanism  17 . The second feeding mechanism  170 B feeds support plates  21 , to which an adhesive is applied, to the first adhering mechanism  103 . The first feeding mechanism  170 A is arranged between the rotating mechanism  38  and the loading conveyor  161 . The second feeding mechanism  170 B is arranged between the rotating mechanism  38  and the unloading conveyor  162 . 
     The first feeding mechanism  170 A has a stocker  171 , a roller conveyor  173 , an applying mechanism  175 , and a loading mechanism  177 . The stocker  171  has a plurality of intermediate plates  20  stacked therein and sends the plates  20  to the roller conveyor  173  one at a time. The roller conveyor  173  conveys the intermediate plate  20  sent from the stocker  171  to the applying mechanism  175 . The applying mechanism  175  applies an adhesive to the upper surface of the intermediate plate  20 . The loading mechanism  177  transfers the intermediate plate  20 , to which an adhesive is applied, to the second adhering mechanism  71 . 
     In the same manner as the first feeding mechanism  170 A, the second feeding mechanism  170 B has a stocker  172 , a roller conveyor  174 , an applying mechanism  176 , and a loading mechanism  178 . The stocker  172  has a plurality of support plates  21  stacked therein and sends the plates  21  to the roller conveyor  174  one at a time. The roller conveyor  174  conveys the support plate  21  sent from the stocker  172  to the applying mechanism  176 . The applying mechanism  176  applies an adhesive to the upper surface of the support plate  21 . The loading mechanism  178  transfers the support plate  21 , to which the adhesive is applied, to the first adhering mechanism  103 . 
     As shown in FIG. 39, the second transferring mechanism  181  is provided on the upper surface of a base  37 . The transferring mechanism  181  transfers the ingot  13 , to which the plates  20 ,  21  are to be adhered, from transferring position P 1  to adhering position P 2 , where the plates  20 ,  21  are adhered to the ingot  13 . The transferring mechanism  181  further transfers the ingot  13 , to which the plates  20 ,  21  have been adhered, back to transferring position P 1  from adhering position P 2 . The transferring mechanism  181  includes a pillar  182  that is erected on the base  37 , a pair of horizontal support arms  183  inclinably connected to the pillar  182  by a shaft  404 , and a cylinder  400  arranged between the middle of the support arms  183  and the base  37 . A drive pulley  184  and a driven pulley  185  are supported on the ends of each support arm  183 . An endless belt  186  is wound about each pair of pulleys  184 ,  185 . Each belt  186  is rotated by a motor  187  which drives the associated drive pulley  184 . A plurality of rollers  401  are arranged longitudinally on each arm  183  between the drive pulley  184  and the driven pulley  185 . The rotation of each belt  186  rotate the associated rollers  401 . The ingot  13  held on the rollers  401  is moved by the rotation of the rollers  401  between the transferring position P 1  and the adhering position P 2 . 
     The rotating mechanism  38  and the carriage  39  will now be described in detail. The rotating mechanism  38  is combined with the first adjusting mechanism  40 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 38 and 39, a pair of guide rails  41  extend on the base  37 . A moving platform  42  moves reciprocally in a horizontal direction along the guide rails  41 . A pair of support plates  191  are erected on both sides of the platform  42 . A pair of drive rollers  193 , each rotatably supported by a shaft  192 , extends between both support plates  191 . The rollers  193  extend horizontally and are parallel to each other. When the ingot  13  is moved by the rollers  401  of the second transferring mechanism  181  from the transferring position P 1  to the adhering position P 2 , the support arms  183  are pivoted downward about the shaft  404  by the cylinder  400 . The downward pivoting enables the ingot  13  held on the rollers  193  to be transferred onto the pair of rollers  193 . 
     A pulley  194  is fixed to an end of the shaft  192  of each roller  193 . The pulleys  194  are supported by one of the support plates  191 . An endless belt  195  is wound about the pulleys  194 . One of the pulleys  194  is rotated by a motor  196 . This results in both rollers  193  being rotated by the belt  195 . The rotation causes rotation of the ingot held on the rollers  193 . The ingot  13  is rotated so as that its crystal orientation L 2  becomes horizontal in accordance with the measured results of the goniometer  28 . The crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  is measured through the measuring method employed in the second embodiment. 
     As shown in FIG. 38, a support frame  197  is erected on the platform  42 . A bracket  198  is secured on the frame  197 . A lever  199  is pivotally connected to the bracket  198  by a shaft  200 . A pressing roller  201  is supported at the distal end of the lever  199 . The lever  199  is pivoted vertically by a cylinder  202 . When the ingot  13  is held on the rollers  193 , a cylinder  202  is actuated to press the cylindrical surface of the ingot  13  with the pressing roller  201 . This enables the ingot  13  to be clamped between the rollers  193  and  201 . 
     Brackets  410 ,  411  respectively connect cylinders  412 ,  413  to the support plates  191 . Pressing bodies  414 ,  415  are respectively coupled to the rod of the cylinders  412 ,  413 . When the ingot  13  is clamped between the rollers  193 ,  201 , the cylinders  412 ,  413  are actuated to clamp the cylindrical surface of the ingot  13  from beside with the associated pressing bodies  414 ,  415 . 
     As shown in FIG. 39, bearings  203 ,  204  are arranged on the base  37  with a predetermined interval between each other. A ball screw  205  is supported horizontally between the bearings  203 ,  204 . The ball screw  205  is screwed through a nut  206  fixed to the bottom surface of the platform  42 . A motor  207  is arranged near the bearing  203  to rotate the ball screw  205 . When the motor  207  rotates the ball screw  205 , the rotating mechanism  38  on the platform  42  is moved between the adhering position P 2  and a measuring position P 3  located in the goniometer  28 . 
     The first adhering mechanism  103  and the second adhering mechanism  71  will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 38-40. In this embodiment, the first adhering mechanism  103  is combined with the second adhering mechanism  71 . 
     A first cylinder  211 , which extends vertically, is fixed to the base  37 . A second cylinder  213  is rotatably supported in the first cylinder  211  by a ball bearings  212 . A pair of third cylinders  214  are fit in the second cylinder  213 . Bolts  215  connect the second and third cylinders  213 ,  214  to one another and enables integral rotation. A support shaft  216  is inserted through the third cylinders  214 . The support shaft  216  moves vertically and rotates integrally with the third cylinders  214 . A lever  217  is pivotally supported about a shaft  218  in the base  37 . The lower end of the support shaft  216  is connected to the distal end of the lever  217 . The support shaft  216  is lifted or lowered when the lever  217  is pivoted vertically by a cylinder  219 . 
     A clamping mechanism  221  is provided on the upper end of the support shaft  216  to clamp the intermediate plate  20  and the support plate  21 . The clamping mechanism  221  has a frame  222 , a fixed jaw  223 , a movable jaw  224 , and a cylinder  225 . The frame  222  is secured to the upper end of the support shaft  216 . The fixed jaw  223  is fixed to the frame  222 . The movable jaw  224  is supported on the frame  222  and moves toward or away from the fixed jaw  223 . The cylinder  225  is coupled to the frame  222  to move the movable jaw  224 . The loading mechanisms  177 ,  178  of the associated first and second feeding mechanisms  170 A,  170 B transfers the set of plates  20 ,  21  to the clamping mechanism  221 . The cylinder  225  is actuated to clamp the plates  20 ,  21  between the movable jaw  224  and the fixed jaw  223 . 
     The second adjusting mechanism  91 , which adjusts the horizontal angle of the support plate  21 , will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 39 and 40. 
     A ring  226  is secured around the bottom of the second cylinder  213 . A lever  227  is coupled to the ring  226 . The lever  227  is pivoted horizontally by a pivoting mechanism  228  arranged in the base  37 . The pivoting mechanism  228  is constituted by a motor, a ball screw, and other parts (not shown). The pivoting of the lever  227  causes the support shaft  216  and other parts to be pivoted horizontally by a clamping mechanism  221 . The pivoting mechanism  228  pivots the clamping mechanism  221  based on the crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13 , which is measured by the goniometer  28 , so that the mounting axis  23  of the support plate  21 , held by the clamping mechanism  221 , is parallel to the crystal orientation L 2 . 
     The first and second feeding mechanisms  170 A,  170 B will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 41-43. The structure of the first and second feeding mechanisms  170 A,  170 B are identical. Therefore, only the first supplying mechanism  170 A will be described. The corresponding parts of the second feeding mechanism  170 B will be denoted with the same numerals and will not be described. 
     The stocker  171  has a pair of frames  231 , which extend vertically, to stack the plurality of intermediate plates  20 . The frames  231  are supported by the base  37 . A bracket  232  is secured to the lower end of each frame  231 . An engaging lever  233  is pivotally connected to each bracket  232  by a shaft  234 . A cylinder  235  is connected to the basal end of each lever  233 . The cylinder  235  pivots the lever  233  between a position at which the lever  233  engages the lowermost intermediate plate  20  and a position at which it is separated from the same plate  20 . 
     The roller conveyor  173  has a support frame  241  connected to the base  37 , a plurality of rollers  242  supported by the frame  241 , a belt  243 , and a motor  405 . The belt  243  and the motor  405  are employed to rotate the rollers  242 . The actuation of the levers  233  enables the intermediate plates  20  to be discharged from the stocker  171  one at a time. Each intermediate plate  20  is placed on the rollers  242  and conveyed toward the applying mechanism  175  when the rollers  242  are rotated. 
     The applying mechanism  175  will now be described. A frame  251  is provided on the base  37 . A moving body  253  is movable along a pair of guide rails  252  provided on the frame  251  in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor  173 . A motor  254  cooperates with a ball screw  254   a  to move the moving body  253 . A pair of guide rails  256  extending vertically are arranged on the moving body  253 . An elevating body  255  is lifted and lowered along the rails  256  by a cylinder  257 . A dispenser nozzle  258  extending downward is secured to the front side of the elevating body  255 . An adhesive is supplied to the nozzle  258  from a tank  259  arranged near the frame  251  through a flexible pipe  260 . When the intermediate plate  20  is conveyed to a position corresponding to the applying mechanism  175 , the adhesive is applied through the nozzle  258  to the upper surface of the intermediate plate  20  while the nozzle  258  is moved in the longitudinal direction of the plate  20 . 
     The structure of the loading mechanism  177  will now be described with reference to FIGS. 38 and 43. The loading mechanism  177  moves the intermediate plate  20 , to which the adhesive has been applied, to a position directly below the applying mechanism  176 . This enables the plate  20  to be transferred to the clamping mechanism  221 . The loading mechanism  177  has a clamping body  261 , which clamps the intermediate plate  20 , a cylinder  262 , which lifts and lowers the clamping body  261 , and a cylinder  263 , which moves the clamping body  261  horizontally. 
     The operation of the third embodiment will now be described with reference to FIG.  44 . 
     When the loading conveyor  161  conveys the ingot  13  held on the pallet  163  to a position corresponding to the transferring position P 1 , the conveyor  161  is stopped. The ingot  13  is then carried to the transferring position P 1  that is located on the second transferring mechanism  181  by the gripping mechanism  169  of the first transferring mechanism  165  (step S 301 ). 
     Subsequently, the ingot  13  is transferred from the first transferring mechanism  165  and mounted on the carriage  39  (step S 302 ). More specifically, the rollers  401  of the second transferring mechanism  181  are rotated to convey the ingot  13  from the transferring position P 1  to the adhering position P 2 . The support arms  183  of the transferring mechanism  181  are then inclined downward when pivoted about the shaft  404  by the cylinder  400 . The inclination of the arms  183  transfers the ingot  13  held on the rollers  401  onto the rollers  193  of the rotating mechanism  38 . The cylinder  202  is then actuated to cause the pressing roller  201  to press the cylindrical surface of the ingot  13 . Simultaneously, the cylinders  412 ,  413  are actuated to clamp the ingot between the associated pressing bodies  414 ,  415 . 
     The motor  207  is then actuated to move the ingot  13  together with the rotating mechanism  38  from the adhering position P 2  to the measuring position P 3  (step S 303 ). 
     Afterward, in the same manner as in the second embodiment, the ingot  13  is rotated by the rotating mechanism  38  at the measuring position P 3  to measure the crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  with the goniometer  28  (step S 304 ). The ingot  13  is then rotated until the crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  becomes horizontal (step S 304 ). Furthermore, the inclination e of the crystal orientation L 2  with respect to the center axis L 1  of the ingot  13  in the horizontal direction (FIG. 25) is computed from the measurements taken by the goniometer  28  (step  305 ). 
     Subsequently, the rotating mechanism  38  holding the ingot  13  is returned to the adhering position P 2  from the measuring position P 3  (step S 306 ). 
     While steps S 301 -S 306  are carried out, a single intermediate plate  20  is fed onto the roller conveyor  173  from the stocker  171  by the first feeding mechanism  170 A (step S 307 ). The intermediate plate  20  is conveyed to a position corresponding to the applying mechanism  175 . At this position, an adhesive is applied to the upper surface of the intermediate plate  20  (step S 308 ). After the application of the adhesive, the intermediate plate  20  is clamped by the clamp body  261  of the loading mechanism  177  and sent to the clamping mechanism  221 , which is located at a stand-by position (indicated by the double-dotted line in FIG.  38 ). The cylinder  225  is then actuated to move the movable jaw  224  and clamp the intermediate plate  20  between the fixed jaw  223  and the movable jaw  224  (step S 309 ). 
     The cylinder  219  is then actuated to lift the support shaft  216 . This adheres the upper surface of the intermediate plate  20 , which is held by the clamping mechanism  38 , to the cylindrical surface of the ingot  13 , which is held by the clamping mechanism  221 . During the adhesion, the forward and reverse rotation of the motor  207  reciprocally moves the rotating mechanism  38  along the center axis L 1  of the ingot  13  within a short stroke. The reciprocation eliminates bubbles included in the adhesive and enables secure adhesion of the intermediate plate  20  within a short period of time (step S 310 ). 
     Furthermore, while steps S 301 -S 306  are carried out, a single support plate  21  is fed onto the roller conveyor  174  from the stocker  172  by the second feeding mechanism  170 B (step S 311 ). The support plate  21  is conveyed to a position corresponding to the applying mechanism  176 . At this position, an adhesive is applied to the upper surface of the support plate  21  (step S 312 ). After the application of the adhesive and the completion of step S 310 , the support plate  21  is clamped by the clamp body  261  of the loading mechanism  178  and sent to the clamping mechanism  221 , which is located at a stand-by position. The support plate  21  is then clamped by the clamping mechanism  221  (step S 313 ). 
     The inclination θ of the crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  with respect to its center axis L 1  along the horizontal plane is computed in step S 305 . Based on the inclination θ, the clamping mechanism  221  is rotated horizontally by the pivoting mechanism  228  by way of the support shaft  216  (step S 314 ). 
     In the same manner as step S 310 , the support plate  21  is adhered to the intermediate plate  20  (step S 315 ). 
     After the support plate  21  is adhered, the clamping mechanism  221  releases the support plate  21 . The cylinder  219  then lowers and returns the support shaft  216  and the clamping mechanism  221  to the stand-by position. 
     The ingot  13 , to which the intermediate and support plates  20 ,  21  are adhered, is sent from the adhering position P 2  to the transferring position P 1  (step S 316 ). More specifically, the ingot  13  is first released from the pressing roller  201 . The support arms  183  of the second transferring mechanism  181  is pivoted about the shaft  404  and inclined upward by the cylinder  400 . The inclination enables the ingot  13  held on the rollers  193  of the rotating mechanism  38  to be transferred onto the rollers  401  of the transferring mechanism  181 . The rollers  401  are then rotated to convey the ingot  13  from the adhering position P 2  to the transferring position P 1 . 
     Afterward, the ingot  13  located at the transferring position P 1  is placed on the pallet  164  that is held on the unloading conveyor  162  by the gripping mechanism  169  of the first transferring mechanism  165 . The ingot  13 , to which the plates  20 ,  21  are adhered, is then conveyed to the drying apparatus by the unloading conveyor  162  (step S 317 ). 
     The advantageous effects of the third embodiment will now be described. 
     (1) The first adhering mechanism  103  and the second adhering mechanism  71  are combined with each other to perform the adhering of the intermediate plate  20  and the support plate  21  at the same position. This simplifies the structure of the adhering mechanism  27  and improves the operational efficiency. 
     (2) The first feeding mechanism  170 A and the second feeding mechanism  170 B automates the application of the adhesive to the intermediate plate  20  and the support plate  21 , and the transferring of the plates  20 ,  21  to the gripping mechanism  221 . Accordingly, this improves the operational efficiency. 
     (3) The transferring of the ingot  13  prior to the adhesion of the plates  20 ,  21  from the loading conveyor  161  to the transferring position P 1  and the transferring of the ingot  13  after the adhesion of the plates  20 ,  21  from the transferring position P 1  to the unloading conveyor  162  is performed automatically by the first transferring mechanism  165 . Accordingly, this improves the operational efficiency. 
     (4) The first adhering mechanism  103 , which adheres the support plate  21 , the second adhering mechanism  71 , which adheres the intermediate plate  20 , and the second adjusting mechanism  91 , which adjusts the angle of the support plate  21  along the horizontal plane, are constituted integrally. Accordingly, this simplifies the structure of the adhering mechanism  27 . 
     A fourth embodiment of the present invention will hereafter be described with reference to FIGS. 45-48. The structure of the adhering apparatus  27  in this embodiment differs from that employed in the previous embodiments. In the fourth embodiment, parts that are identical to those employed in the third embodiment are denoted with the same numeral. 
     In this embodiment, the first adhering mechanism  103  and the second adhering mechanism  71  that are employed in the third embodiment are separated from each other. In addition, the first adhering mechanism  103  is provided with a mechanism  270  that enables the adhesion of a plurality of ingots  13  to a single support plate  21 . 
     The mechanism  270  has a support shaft  271  that is provided on the base  37 . The support shaft  271  is rotatably and liftably supported by the first cylinder  211 . The support shaft  271  is pivoted by the pivoting mechanism  228  and lifted or lowered by an elevating mechanism (not shown). A support plate  272  is fixed to the upper end of the support shaft  271 . A pair of guides  273  are fastened to the support plate  272 . A guide rail  274 , which engages the guides  273 , is secured to the bottom surface of the frame  222  of the clamping mechanism  221 . Accordingly, the clamping mechanism  221  may be moved reciprocally along the support plate  272  by way of the guide rail  274 . 
     A rack  275  is secured to the bottom surface of the frame  222 . The rack  275  extends in the longitudinal direction of the frame  222 . A motor  277 , which has a brake  406 , is coupled to the support plate  272  by way of a bracket  276 . A pinion  278 , which is meshed with the rack  275 , is secured to the output shaft of the motor  277 . Accordingly, the rotation of the motor  277  moves the clamping mechanism  221  reciprocally along the support plate  272 . 
     The operation of the fourth embodiment will now be described with reference to FIGS.  48 ( a )-( c ). 
     FIG.  48 ( a ) shows a first ingot  13 , to which an intermediate plate  20  is adhered, held by the rotating mechanism  38  that is also employed in the third embodiment. The ingot  13  is positioned above the left side of the support plate  21 , which is held by the clamping mechanism  221 . In this state, the clamping mechanism  221  is rotated horizontally by the pivoting mechanism  228  and the support shaft  271  so that the mounting axis of the support plate  21  becomes parallel to the crystal orientation of the first ingot  13  in accordance with the measurement data taken by goniometer  28 . The clamping mechanism  221  is then lifted to adhere the support plate  21  to the lower surface of the intermediate plate  20 . 
     After the adhesion of the first ingot  13 , the brake  406  of the motor  277  is released. The motor  277  then rotates the pinion  278  along the rack  275  so that the clamping mechanism  221  is moved toward the left, as viewed in the drawing. When the substantially middle section of the support plate  21  becomes located directly above the support shaft  271  as illustrated in FIG.  48 ( b ), the motor  277  is stopped and the brake  406  is actuated. A second ingot  13 , to which another intermediate plate  20  is adhered, is positioned directly above the intermediate plate  20 . In the same manner as the first ingot  13 , the clamping mechanism  221  is rotated horizontally by the pivoting mechanism  228  and the support shaft  271  so that the mounting axis of the support plate  21  becomes parallel to the crystal orientation of the second ingot  13  in accordance with the measurement data taken by goniometer  28 . The clamping mechanism  221  is then lifted to adhere the support plate  21  to the lower surface of the intermediate plate  20 . 
     The adhesion of the third ingot  13  is performed in the same manner as the second ingot  13 , as shown in FIG.  48 ( c ). 
     In the fourth embodiment, the clamping mechanism  221  is moved along its longitudinal direction by the mechanism  270 . 
     Therefore, a plurality of short ingots  13  may easily be adhered to a single support plate  21  with there crystal orientations adjusted. 
     A fifth embodiment of the present invention will hereafter be described with reference to FIG.  49 . The structure of the adhering apparatus  27  in this embodiment differs from that employed in the previous embodiments. In the fifth embodiment, parts that are identical to those employed in the third embodiment are denoted with the same numeral. 
     In this embodiment, the first adhering mechanism  103  and the second adhering mechanism  71  are provided separately in the same manner as the first and second embodiments. A drying apparatus  281  is provided between the first and second adhering mechanisms  71 ,  103 . An apparatus  182  is provided near the loading conveyor  161  to receive the empty pallets  163 . An apparatus  184  is provided between the second adhering mechanism  71  and the loading conveyor  161  to feed each pallet  164  to the conveyor  280 . The pallet  164  receives the ingot  13 , to which the intermediate plate  20  is adhered. After the intermediate plate  20  is adhered to the ingot  13  by the second adhering mechanism  71 , the ingot  13  is transferred to the pallet  164  on the conveyor  280  and conveyed to the drying apparatus  281 . 
     In the fifth embodiment, the ingot  13  is sent to the drying apparatus  281  after adhering the intermediate plate  20  thereon. Therefore, the support plate  21  is adhered to the intermediate plate  20  after the intermediate plate  20  is securely adhered to the ingot  13 . Accordingly, when adhering the support plate  21 , the intermediate plate  20  remains fixed between the ingot  13  and the support plate  21 . 
     Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described herein, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example, the present invention may be modified as described below. 
     (1) In the above embodiments, when adhering the intermediate and support plates  20 ,  21  to the ingot  13 , the pressing force, oscillating speed, the number of oscillations, the oscillating time period, and other factors may be controlled by a controller. Such adhering data may be input through an operation panel. Data stored in a memory may also be selected arbitrarily. 
     (2) The insulating plate  21   a  may be omitted. 
     (3) The insulating plate  21   a  and the intermediate-plate  20  may be omitted. In this case, only the support plate  20  is adhered to each ingot  13 . 
     (4) The crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  may be measured by rotating the goniometer  28  instead of rotating the ingot  13 . 
     (5) Each ingot  13  may be rotated along the horizontal plane instead of rotating the support plate  21  along the horizontal plane so that the crystal orientation L 2  of the ingot  13  becomes parallel to the mounting axis  23  of the support plate  21 . 
     (6) Based on the measurement data taken by the goniometer  28 , the intermediate plate  20  and the support plate  21  may be adhered to each other in correspondence with the crystal orientation before adhering the plates  20 ,  21  to each ingot  13 . 
     Therefore, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.