Recent advances in broad‐beam, ion‐source technology are summarized, including low‐energy ion optics, improved extraction grid fabrication, a compact ion‐source design and a gridless ion‐source design. Recent applications have emphasized concepts such as stress modification of vapor depositedfilms, very low energy ion beams to minimize the physical sputtering portion in reactive etching, and the use of multiple sources and targets to sputter deposit alloys and compounds. A comprehensive critical review by the same authors appears concurrently, describing in detail the developments in broad‐beam, ion‐source technology1 and the applications of these sources.2