A method of plasma activated chemical vapour deposition comprising the steps of: - providing a vacuum vessel having a relatively low pressure or vacuum, to which an operating gas comprising a mixture of a decomposition or precursor gas, a reactive gas and/or a sputter gas, is provided, - providing a plasma decomposition unit (1,3) inside the vacuum vessel for decomposing the operating gas having complex molecules into charged or neutral radicals, the plasma decomposition unit having an anode and a cathode, the anode surrounding the cathode, and the cathode having an enhancing magnetic field and being electrically insulated from the surrounding anode, - providing a processing unit including a process chamber in which a work piece to be coated is to be arranged, the process chamber being provided inside the vacuum vessel, the process chamber having walls from which the anode extend into the process chamber, surrounding the cathode that has the shape of plate whereof one surface of two large surfaces is a free surface that faces the interior of the process chamber, - providing a work piece in the process chamber, - applying periodically repeated voltage pulses having a single polarity between the anode and the cathode of the plasma decomposition unit in such a manner that pulsed electric discharges are produced between the cathode and an inner surface of the surrounding anode of the plasma decomposition unit, thereby producing a plasma at said free surface of the cathode, characterized by the additional steps of: - configuring a main part of the anode as flanges extending from the interior surface of the walls having a first portion extending perpendicularly from the interior surface of the walls and an end portion that extends in parallel with the free surface of the cathode extending at least partially over said free surface of the cathode that faces the interior of the process chamber, so that the anode includes a surface portion shielded for direct coating with particles from the plasma formed. - providing a vacuum vessel having a relatively low pressure or vacuum, to which an operating gas comprising a mixture of a decomposition or precursor gas, a reactive gas and/or a sputter gas, is provided, - providing a plasma decomposition unit (1,3) inside the vacuum vessel for decomposing the operating gas having complex molecules into charged or neutral radicals, the plasma decomposition unit having an anode and a cathode, the anode surrounding the cathode, and the cathode having an enhancing magnetic field and being electrically insulated from the surrounding anode, - providing a processing unit including a process chamber in which a work piece to be coated is to be arranged, the process chamber being provided inside the vacuum vessel, the process chamber having walls from which the anode extend into the process chamber, surrounding the cathode that has the shape of plate whereof one surface of two large surfaces is a free surface that faces the interior of the process chamber, - providing a work piece in the process chamber, - applying periodically repeated voltage pulses having a single polarity between the anode and the cathode of the plasma decomposition unit in such a manner that pulsed electric discharges are produced between the cathode and an inner surface of the surrounding anode of the plasma decomposition unit, thereby producing a plasma at said free surface of the cathode, characterized by the additional steps of: - configuring a main part of the anode as flanges extending from the interior surface of the walls having a first portion extending perpendicularly from the interior surface of the walls and an end portion that extends in parallel with the free surface of the cathode extending at least partially over said free surface of the cathode that faces the interior of the process chamber, so that the anode includes a surface portion shielded for direct coating with particles from the plasma formed.