スパッタリングや蒸着を主とする薄膜作成技術の進歩は著しく、これによる薄膜応用デバイスは、エレクトロニクス等のハイテクノロジー分野において重要な位置を占めるとともに限りない発展を続けています。

Remarkable advances have been made in the technique for forming thin film coatings,which typically employs sputtering or evaporation.Devices which use thin films produced by this technique have come to occupy an important position in such high technology fields as electronics,and further applications seem limitless.