Abstract: In magnetically enhanced sputtering, pulses are applied having a very high instantaneous power, of the order of at least 0.1 kW-1 MW. In such sputtering regions exist in which electrons are trapped by the magnetic field generated by magnets cooperating with the electric field between the anode (part of the wall enclosing the chamber in which sputtering is performed) and the cathode (which at the same time is the target, from which material is to be sputtered). An ionization of the gas in the chamber will then for lower applied power occur preferably in those regions causing a non-uniform erosion of the target. For very high power in the pulses or power density in the pulses the gas in these regions, and in regions adjacent thereto, will enter another state of complete ionization, which considered in energy terms is located above the unwanted state of an electric arc which is formed for a lower supplied power.