<p>A reactive ion etching apparatus used in the manufacturing process of semiconductor elements such as ICs and LSIs is herein disclosed. The material (18) to be etched is supported by a chucking device(124) disposed on a negative electrode ( 101) and in this apparatus, a magnetic field parallel to the surface of the material (18) to be etched is generated. The reactive ion etching is carried out while cooling the negative electrode ( 101) to a temperature of not more than 0 DEG C.</p>
