Experiments with photoresists (that polymerize and become more or less unremovable at relatively low temperatures i.e. 110 C) without N₂ cooling have led to the famous 'recipe #10'. This recipe gives a maximum etch rate without destroying optical resists. Other recipes have lower currents to reduce oxygen loss in oxides. Recipe #10 basically means a 350 eV collimated Ar⁺ ion beam with 10 mA beam current and total beam neutralization (a little bit more than 10 mA e^- is injected in the beam). All other parameters, like filament current, discharge voltage and accelerator settings are derived settings.

Ion etching recipes for a given material can be found in the manual of the Ion Beam Etcher.