TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The heat-extracting means comprises a chimney positioned on the growth plate downstream from the outlet of the melt chamber, where the chimney is adapted to allow heat to radiate from the melted feed material in the growth tray upward through the chimney, and the adjustable means comprises at least one throttle plate pivotably mounted in the chimney and moveable to control the area of the heat passage through the chimney. The apparatus includes: a baffle positioned in the outlet of the melt chamber and adapted to allow only melted feed material to flow through the outlet and into the growth tray, retaining any solids within the melt chamber; a dimple in the growth tray positioned below the outlet in the melt chamber, where the dimple is adapted to reduce the splashdown depth of melted feed material and to limit ripple formation of the melted feed material as it flows through the outlet and into the growth tray; a ridge in the growth tray positioned downstream of the dimple and adapted to limit wave propagation in the melted feed material in the growth tray; a growth tray susceptor having the growth tray supported on it; and an electrical heating means for supplying induction heat to the growth tray through the growth tray susceptor to maintain the melted feed material in a liquid phase during the growth of the continuous ribbon. The melt chamber comprises: a pour crucible susceptor having the pour crucible and the baffle supported on them; and an electrical heating means for supplying induction heat to the pour crucible through the pour crucible susceptor to maintain feed material slightly below its melting point and regulate heat input to control rate of melting on demand. Preferred Method: The method: comprises supplying heat to the growth tray to keep the feed material in the melt pool in its liquid phase during production of the ribbon; further comprises regulating the heat loss from the melt pool by adjusting the flow through the chimney; and comprises sweeping the surface of the melt pool with flowing gas to remove gaseous and small particle impurities that may exist above the melt pool, where the gas comprises argon and nitrogen. In the method: the template is pulled away from the melt pool at an angle of 1-15 degrees with respect to the surface of the melt pool; the heat loss is regulated by moving at least one throttle plate in the chimney to increase or decrease the heat flow area through the chimney; adjusting the composition of the gas to alter the surface properties of the melt; and the template is comprised of a sheet of a carbon-based material. In the method, the chimney has a first and a second throttle plate, positioned side by side across the flow area in the chimney with the first throttle plate being closer to the contact point between the template and the melt pool than the second throttle plate, where the method further comprises opening the throttle plates in sequence with the first throttle plate being opened first to allow the ribbon to begin growth.