AbstractThe requirements for the ITER divertor design, i.e. power and He ash exhaust, neutral leakage control, lifetime, disruption load resistance and exchange by remote handling, are described in this paper. These requirements and the physics requirements for detached and semi-attached operation result in the vertical target configuration. This is realised by a concept incorporating 60 cassettes carrying the high heat flux components. The armour choice for these components is CFC monoblock in the strike zone near the lower part of the vertical target, and a W brush elsewhere. Cooling is by swirl tubes or hypervapotrons depending on the component. The status of the heat sink and joining technology R and D is given. Finally, the resulting design of the high heat flux components is presented.