An ingot is a piece of material, usually metal, that is cast into a shape suitable for further processing. In steel making, it is the first step among semi-finished casting products. Ingots usually require a second procedure of shaping, such as cold/hot working, cutting, or milling to produce a useful final product. Non-metallic and semiconductor materials prepared in bulk form may also be referred to as ingots, particularly when cast by mold based methods. Precious metal ingots can be used as currency (with or without being processed into other shapes), or as a currency reserve, as with gold bars.
Metal, either pure or alloy, heated past its melting point and cast into a bar or block using a mold chill method. Polycrystalline and single crystal ingots are made from semiconductor materials by pulling from a molten melt. Uses include the formation of photovoltaic cells from silicon ingots by cutting the ingot into flats, known as wafers.
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