Patent ID: 6941940

Claim:
A process for simultaneously slicing at least two generally cylindrical semiconductor ingots into wafers using a wire saw having a moveable cutting wire arranged in generally parallel reaches between guide rollers, at least one of the reaches defining a cutting web, the wire being adapted to cut through the ingots, the process comprising the steps of: mounting said at least two ingots to a common ingot support so that the ingots are positioned in registration with the cutting web and with longitudinal axes of the ingots being generally parallel, non-coaxial, and generally perpendicular to the lengthwise extent of the wire in the cutting web, said ingot support including at least two mounting beams, each adapted for connection of a respective ingot thereto, a loading platform and an adaptor for holding said mounting beams, the platform having one receptacle configured to receive said adaptor and configured to receive one of the mounting beams free from said adaptor for mounting a single ingot for sawing; moving the ingot support relative to the cutting web so that said at least two ingots simultaneously press against the cutting web at cutting regions where said ingots engage said wire web; dispensing a liquid slurry to at least three locations on said wire web, said locations including two outermost sides of said ingot cutting regions and a location between each pair of ingots; and removing said adaptor from said receptacle of the ingot support and installing either a second adaptor or one mounting beam free from said adaptor into said receptacle for slicing at least one additional ingot.