Abstract: A sputtering apparatus has a pressure resistant vessel, from which gas in discharged and into which gas for sputtering is supplied, a substrate disposed in the vessel to be formed with a film at one surface thereof, a target disposed oppositely to one surface of the substrate to be formed of a substance to become a material of the film, a magnet provided on the surface of the target oppositely to the substrate to generate a magnetic field for confining a plasma in the vicinity of the surface of the target opposed to the substrate, a plate-shaped anode disposed between the substrate and the target to be formed with an opening of the shape in which at least one side is larger than the profile of the substrate at a position opposed to the substrate, and a sputtering current supplier between the anode and the target. The anode is made of a conductor. An opening larger than the profile of the substrate is formed at a position of the anode opposed to the substrate.

Abstract: A method of forming a transparent conductive thin film by sputtering includes the step of placing a target consisting of a conductive oxide material and a substrate on which the thin film is to be formed in a pressure vessel, the step of supplying argon gas and oxygen gas after the pressure vessel is substantially evacuated, the step of supplying a sputtering current to the target to maintain a discharge state, the step of detecting the partial pressure of oxygen in the gas mixture in the pressure chamber, and the step of controlling the flow rate of oxygen gas. The flow rate of the oxygen gas is controlled by a control unit such that the value of the partial pressure of oxygen which is detected in the partial pressure detection step is always kept constant.