A method for the evaporation of a cathode by means of a cathodic arc evaporation process in a vacuum chamber in which an arc is ignited and the movement of the focal spot of the arc is forced on a predetermined track on the cathode surface to be evaporated by means of a guiding magnetic field, wherein inner magnetic means inside the vacuum chamber and outer magnetic means outside the vacuum chamber are used to produce at least one inner magnetic field and one outer magnetic field, wherein the guiding magnetic field is a tunnel-shaped guiding magnetic field, which is produced by the interaction of the magnetic fields, characterized in that the tunnel-shaped guiding magnetic field can be changed and during the execution of the arc evaporation process, at least two different guiding magnetic fields (M1, M2) are produced and wherein the method comprises the following steps: - Production of the first tunnel-shaped guiding magnetic field, which is used during a first run-time t1 to guide the focal spot of the arc on a first track on the cathode surface that is to be evaporated, wherein a first erosion path with a length is produced in a first region of the cathode surface, wherein the first run-time corresponds to the time that the focal spot needs to travel the complete length of the first erosion path one time. - Alteration of the properties of the first guiding magnetic field in order to adjust a second tunnel-shaped guiding magnetic field that is different from the first and that is used during a second run-time to guide the focal spot of the arc on a second track on the cathode surface that is to be evaporated, wherein a second erosion path with a length is produced in a second region of the cathode surface, wherein the second run-time corresponds to the time that the focal spot needs to travel the complete length of the second erosion path one time. - Execution of the cathodic arc evaporation process, wherein during the total duration of the cathodic arc evaporation process t Tot, the first guiding magnetic field is applied during a switch-on time t on 1 and the second guiding magnetic field is applied during a switch-on time t on 2, wherein t on 1 ≥ t1, t on 2 ≥ t2, and t Tot ≥ t on 1+t on 2, and wherein t1 and t2 last from seconds to minutes, and wherein the integral spot speed in the immediate vicinity is assumed to be constant. - Production of the first tunnel-shaped guiding magnetic field, which is used during a first run-time t1 to guide the focal spot of the arc on a first track on the cathode surface that is to be evaporated, wherein a first erosion path with a length is produced in a first region of the cathode surface, wherein the first run-time corresponds to the time that the focal spot needs to travel the complete length of the first erosion path one time. - Alteration of the properties of the first guiding magnetic field in order to adjust a second tunnel-shaped guiding magnetic field that is different from the first and that is used during a second run-time to guide the focal spot of the arc on a second track on the cathode surface that is to be evaporated, wherein a second erosion path with a length is produced in a second region of the cathode surface, wherein the second run-time corresponds to the time that the focal spot needs to travel the complete length of the second erosion path one time. - Execution of the cathodic arc evaporation process, wherein during the total duration of the cathodic arc evaporation process t Tot, the first guiding magnetic field is applied during a switch-on time t on 1 and the second guiding magnetic field is applied during a switch-on time t on 2, wherein t on 1 ≥ t1, t on 2 ≥ t2, and t Tot ≥ t on 1+t on 2, and wherein t1 and t2 last from seconds to minutes, and wherein the integral spot speed in the immediate vicinity is assumed to be constant.