this invention relates to a rotatable cylindrical magnetron sputtering apparatus and related process . more specifically , the invention relates to a cylindrical target assembly for a cylindrical magnetron sputtering device which includes a target portion where the target portion is metal , metal oxide , or ceramic and is not bonded to any backing tube . instead , the cylindrical target is resiliently , yet fixedly mounted to the backing tube by a multiplicity of resilient , yieldable contacts . the assembly allows the target portion to heat up uniformly and expand , thereby allowing the cylindrical magnetron to operate at increased power levels .