Patent ID: 7485477

Claim:
A thin plate manufacturing method of manufacturing a thin plate by dipping a surface layer part of a substrate held by a dipping mechanism into a melt of a substance including at least either a metallic material or a semiconductor material in a crucible arranged in a main chamber and solidifying said melt on the surface of said substrate, wherein said dipping mechanism comprises first substrate transport means for transporting said substrate in a first direction for dipping and unloading the substrate into and from said melt, second substrate transport means enabling transportation of said substrate in a second direction different from said first direction and substrate rotation means capable of rotating said substrate by 360°, for dipping the surface layer part of said substrate into the melt in said crucible by controlling operations of said first and second substrate transport means and said substrate rotation means, and wherein said first substrate transport means operates to allow the substrate rotation means to be transported in the first direction.