Both the industrially favorable deposition technique, high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS), and the industrially popular rotating cylindrical magnetron have been successfully combined. A stable operation without arcing, leaks, or other complications for the rotatable magnetron was attained, with current densities around 11 A cm(-2). For Ti and Al, a much higher degree in ionization in the plasma region was observed for the HIPIMS mode compared to the direct current mode. (C) 2010 American Vacuum Society. [DOI: 10.1116/1.3271136]