The composition of thin films deposited on the anode of a magnetron cell was studied by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The magnetron cell was constructed from a titanium cathode and a stainless steel anode. The cell was mounted on an UHV system with the ultimate pressure of 1 x 10(-9) mbar. A stable discharge was established in nitrogen atmosphere at 10(-7) mbar for 25 days. After the experiments, the electrodes were cut to small pieces and analyzed by AES. The results showed that a thin film of TiN slightly oxidized and contaminated by C was formed on the anode surface. The thickness of the film at the center of the anode was about 100 nm and it monotonously decreased towards the edges, indicating a rather uniform erosion of the cathode rod. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.