The present invention reduces temperature gradient in the direction of the radius
of solidified ingots of silicon immediately after solidification, which has serious
influences on the quality as a solar cell and improves the quality. Silicon raw
materials are melted inside a bottomless crucible combined with an induction coil
by electromagnetic induction heating. The silicon melt formed inside the bottomless
crucible is allowed to descend and solidified ingots of silicon are manufactured
continuously. Plasma heating by a transferred plasma arc torch is also used for
melting the silicon raw materials. The plasma arc torch is moved for scanning along
the inner surface of the bottomless crucible in the horizontal direction. A plasma
electrode on the solidified ingot side to generate transferred plasma arc is allowed
to contact the surface of the solidified ingot at positions where the temperature
of the solidified ingot becomes 500 to 900 C.