To provide a sputtering apparatus and method capable of assuring the uniformity of a film thickness from the start of using a target till the end thereof with a simple configuration and a program for controlling sputtering.

The apparatus is provided with the target 15 arranged to face a workpiece 19 to be treated, a permanent magnet unit M for depositing the material of the target 15 on the workpiece to be treated in the form of a film by generating a high-density plasma by a magnetic field, a rotation mechanism 9 for rotating the permanent magnet unit M, and a revolution controller 7 for stepwise changing the number of revolutions of the permanent magnet unit M by the rotation mechanism 9. The revolution controller 7 has a revolution setting section 702b for setting the number of revolutions that can be switched, a switching time setting section 702a for setting the time for switching, a detection unit 703 for detecting the time for switching, a selection section 704 for selecting the number of revolutions at the time for switching, and a switching section 705 for instructing the switching to the selected number of revolutions.