Abstract: A passivating film, such as silicon dioxide, which has been sputter deposited over a metal stripe in a thin film device is planarized by a resputtering. Since the contour of the sputter-deposited film follows the contour of the metal stripe, the planarization is achieved by adjusting the resputtering to produce a substantially zero deposition rate on the flat surfaces of the film while sputter etching takes place on the slope surfaces of the film. This process is carried on until the surface of the film is planar. In the situation where the metal stripe is relatively wide whereby the sputter planarization of the passivating film would take an undesirably long time, a relatively large portion of the film over the stripe within its perimeter is first chemically etched to a desired depth on the film utilizing a photoresist or other suitable technique and, thereafter, the remaining portions of the film are removed by the sputter etching of their slopes until planarization is achieved.