Check it.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00339-008-4685-x

I used austenitic stainless steel targets with magnetron sputtering without any problem, so I think there's no problem to use such targets with cathodic arc.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/cathodic-arc

Dear Lokeswar Patnaik

thanks a lot for your help

Dear Safwan al-qawabah

I am so grateful about articles around the subject. they are very useful for me

Dear Bernard Larouche,

Thanks for your response. could you please tell me what characteristics you gain from these targets? Are they just useful for increasing corrosion resistance?

The stainless steel coatings have very good corrosion resistance since they have a very good homogeneity in term of chemical composition. But you can also get a much better wear resistance if you can add some nitrogen to the stainless steel coating during processing. Note that even if the austenitic stainless steel target was non-magnetic, the coating was magnetic.