Improved film density for coatings at grazing angle of incidence in high power impulse magnetron sputtering with positive pulse.

•Adensecoating on complex substrates is a challenge in physical vapor deposition.•Niobium on copper coatings are investigatedwith different sputtering techniques.•High power impulse magnetron sputtering with positive pulse improves film density.•Preliminary validation for superconducting radio-frequency cavities is performed.