Sputtering cathode and device and method for coating a substrate with several layers

A device (10) for coating a substrate (6) with several layers by means of cathode sputtering, with magnetic or magnetizable materials, comprising:

• a cylindrical cathode sputtering arrangement (11) comprising a plurality of sputtering cathodes (11-1, 11-2, . . ., 11-n) each having a cathode base body (2, 14), a target (3-1, 3-2, . . ., 3-n) arranged thereon to provide a target effective area, and a magnet arrangement (4) provided behind the target (3) and intended for generating a magnetron field;
• wherein the plurality of sputtering cathodes are located on a circle with their target effective areas pointing radially outward, and the sputtering cathode arrangement (11) can be rotated around an axis (15) relative to the substrate (6) which is essentially arranged in the tangential plane of a circle enclosing the sputtering cathode arrangement (11);
• a means (5) for generating a stationary external magnetic field having magnetic field lines (8) which extend essentially parallel with each other in the same direction and essentially in a plane of the substrate (6);
• and
• a means (13) for moving the substrate (6) during coating in its plane with respect to target (3) essentially in the direction of the magnetic field lines (8) of the external magnetic field.