Abstract: A coating system includes a vacuum chamber and a coating assembly. The coating assembly has a coating assembly which includes a vapor source, a substrate holder to hold substrates to be coated such that the substrates are positioned in front of the vapor source, a primary cathodic vacuum-arc assembly, a remote anode electrically coupled to the cathode target, a primary power supply connected between the cathode target and the primary anode, and a secondary power supply connected between the cathode target and the remote anode. The primary cathodic vacuum-arc assembly includes a cathode chamber assembly, a cathode target, an optional primary anode and a shield which isolates the cathode target from the vacuum chamber. The shield defines openings for transmitting either electron emission current or metal vapor plasma from the cathode target into the vacuum chamber. The vapor source is positioned between the cathode chamber assembly and the remote anode.