Abstract: The invention relates to the proposal of an electrode arrangement in a device for carrying out processes of physical vapor deposition that greatly reduces or even prevents the degradation of the electrode material caused by accretions. The contamination of the anode occurring in these processes due to cathodic carbon is minimized or prevented by the application of a thin adhesion-reducing coating of high electrical conductivity to the anode, which coating has poorer adhesive properties with regard to the coating material than the uncoated anode material. This coating is preferably a nitride coating, particularly preferably of TiN, applied with a coating thickness of between 0.1 ?m and 3.5 ?m.