Thin film production process and optical device

Abstract

A process of producing a thin film is disclosed. The process comprises the steps of providing a vessel; placing a target such that a surface to be sputtered of the target surrounds a discharge space; placing a substrate on a side of an opening of the space such that the substrate faces an anode disposed so as to close another opening of the space surrounded by the target; supplying a sputtering gas and a fluorine-containing gas into the vessel; and supplying a dc power or a power obtained by superimposing pulses with reversing polarities on the dc power, between the target and the anode, wherein a discharge is induced in the discharge space to sputter the target, thereby forming a fluorine-containing thin film on the substrate.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.