A new sputtering process with particular advantages for the deposition of dielectric films has been developed. Low-frequency power is applied between two conducting targets which are sputtered in a reactive gas. The operation has been demonstrated using Al planar magnetron targets in reactive gases as well as Ar and other noble gases, using a 60-Hz and a 80–500-kHz supply. Comparative measurements were made using the same system for both dc and 13.56-MHz operation. The process retains the controllability of reactive rf sputtering but with higher deposition rates. For N2 ambient, the AlN deposition rate at 100 kHz was 80% higher than the value for 13.56 MHz. Rate measurements were made as a function of both power and frequency by step height measurements. For all gases, the rate increased linearly with power for all frequencies; at a given power, the ratios of the rates obtained in Ar were ∼1:1:0.85:0.70:0.55 for dc, 60 kHz, 80 kHz, 500 kHz, and 13.56 MHz, respectively. The power dissipated in the targets was measured from cooling water temperatures and were proportional to the rates; at 13.56 MHz, ∼50% of the power is not dissipated in the targets. The higher target power dissipation makes the lower frequency operation more efficient for sputtering. The technique can be applied to different target/substrate geometries to deposit dielectric films at higher rates than in conventional rf sputtering.