A sputtering apparatus allowing thick targets and method of making the same. The apparatus includes a sputtering target with a glow discharge plasma formed thereon during sputtering. The sputtering target is disposed in a plane, with a front of the plane defined as the side on which the glow discharge plasma is located during sputtering and a back of the plane defined as the opposite side. The sputtering apparatus also includes a magnetic circuit with an electrically floating center pole and an electrically floating outside pole. Both the center pole and outside pole are at least partially disposed on the front side of the plane defined by the sputtering target.