A system and method for sputtering having a substrate holder, the
target-cathode and the shield that are all electrically isolated from
each other and are all capable of independently being subjected to
different voltages. The substrate holder can be a pallet that holds a
plurality of substrates. The system further includes a plurality of
target-cathodes and shields disposed along the path of travel of the
moving substrate holder, and a controller configured to selectively vary
the target-cathode voltage, the shield voltage, and the pallet bias
voltage while the pallet moves along the path of travel. The
target-cathodes and shields are spaced apart along the path of travel by
a distance less than a length of the pallet and on both sides of the path
of travel. The controller can include a timing circuit for synchronizing
changes in the target-cathode voltages with changes in the pallet bias
voltage and shield voltage.