Abstract: A microwave plasma ion source according to this invention is characterized by the construction of the extracting electrode in contact with the discharge chamber. The electrode is divided into a part substantially exposed to a plasma and a remaining part which is not exposed to the plasma. Moreover, both these parts are held in a state in which they are electrically connected with each other.As a result, very little P or As deposits on the surface of the electrode, and a stable high-current ion beam can be supplied over a long period of time.

Abstract: In an apparatus wherein a microwave discharge is caused by introducing a discharge gas into a discharge area to which a microwave electric field is supplied by a microwave coupler and to which an external magnetic field is supplied by a magnetic field generator, whereby the surface of a substrate is etched by using ions in a generated plasma, a plasma etching apparatus is characterized by employing a round waveguide as the microwave coupler, the discharge area being formed within the round waveguide.

Abstract: An ion source for emitting an efficient radiation of ion beam having a rectangular cross section includes a set of parallel electrodes to which a microwave power is supplied to generate a microwave electric field in an electrode gap. A DC magnetic field is applied in a direction along the opposing surfaces of the electrodes to provide a microwave discharge in the electrode gap in cooperation with the microwave electric field crossing therewith. The electrode gap or discharge space has a rectangular cross section perpendicular to a direction along which ions produced by the microwave discharge are extracted as an ion beam with a side of the cross section corresponding to the distance between the electrodes being shorter than its side crossing therewith. This allows the efficient generation of the ion beam having the rectangular cross section through one or more extraction electrodes which include rectangular slits corresponding in pattern to the above-mentioned cross section.