Reactive cathodic arc evaporation is an attractive method to produce thin oxide coatings at moderate substrate temperatures. Characteristic for this deposition method are two distinctive features which influence the crystalline phases of the synthesized coatings: the freedom to select the chemical composition of the compound cathodes and the control of the metal-to-oxygen ratio during the deposition. An attempt is made to predict the phase formation generated by the arc at the cathode (target) surface and correlate it with the phases of the synthesized coating. The development of the phases at the target surface depends on the oxygen partial pressure and on the particle size utilized to fabricate the powder metallurgical targets. A comparison of the processes at the target surface with the coating synthesis unveils correlations. This knowledge is helpful in the designing of oxide coatings for dedicated applications. The influence of the chemical composition of the targets and the oxygen partial pressure on the formation of the binary and ternary oxide phases was investigated for the Al-Cr, Al-Hf and Al-Ni material systems.