Ion beam sputtering apparatus and method

Ion beam sputtering apparatus comprising:

• an ion source configured to generate a hollow ion beam along a beam axis that is located in a hollow part of the beam;
• and
• a sputtering target having a target body that defines at least one target surface, the target body comprising sputterable particles, the target body being located relative to the ion source so that the ion beam hits the at least one target surface to sputter particles from the target body towards a surface of an object to be modified;
• wherein the target body is shaped so that the particles sputtered towards a surface to be modified are generally sputtered from the sputtering target in radially extending sputter directions relative to the beam axis, the sputter directions extending away from the beam axis;
• wherein an axis of the target body is substantially coaxial with the beam axis;
• and
• wherein the cross-sectional area of at least part of the target body, in a plane perpendicular to the beam axis, increases in a direction away from the ion source from a first cross-sectional area closer to the ion source than a second cross-sectional area further from the ion source,
• wherein the first cross-sectional area is substantially smaller than a cross-sectional area of the hollow portion of the ion beam, and wherein the second cross-sectional area is substantially larger than a cross-sectional area of an external periphery of the hollow ion beam.