Abstract: A method for making a thin film of solid material, including bombarding one face of a substrate of the solid material with at least one of rare gas ions and hydrogen gas ions so as to create a layer of microcavities seperating the substrate into two regions at a depth neighboring the average ion penetration depth, and heating the layer of microcavities to a temperature sufficient to bring about a separation between the two regions of the substrate. The solid material includes one of a dielectric material, a conducting material, a semi-insulating material, and an unorganized semiconducting material.