Abstract: The invention is embodied in an inductively coupled plasma reactor including a vacuum chamber for holding a wafer in the interior thereof and capable of containing a plasma gas, and having an RF antenna and an RF power source for supplying RF power to the RF antenna and apparatus for electrically isolating the RF antenna from the RF power source so as to reduce capacitive coupling therebetween. Preferably, the apparatus for isolating the antenna is a transformer having a primary winding connected across the RF power source and a secondary winding connected across the RF antenna. Preferably, the reactor further includes a conductive Faraday shield having plural layers, the Faraday shield being disposed between the RF antenna and the ceiling of the vacuum chamber, the Faraday shield having eddy current-suppressing apertures in each layer thereof facing conductive portions of the shield in an adjacent layer thereof. The ceiling of the vacuum chamber acts as a gas distribution manifold.