To provide a manufacturing method of a hard thin film by which a hard thin film having high adhesiveness can be formed and also film thicknesses can be differentiated partially in the hard thin film.

In the method of forming the hard thin film on the surface to be treated (sliding surface 1a) of a material to be treated (valve lifter 1) according to a PVD process, magnetic fields are locally generated on the surface to be treated by performing a pattern arrangement of permanent magnets 3 on the back surface 1b of the surface to be treated and, thereby, the film thickness of the hard thin film formed on the surface to be treated can be partially differentiated.