PURPOSE: To provide a transparent conductive thin film having low specific resistance by forming the thin film under the presence of gas including sputter gas Incorporating Kr or Xe, dinitrogen monoxide and oxygen.

CONSTITUTION: A transparent conductive thin film is formed on a substrate made of polyethylene terephthalate or the like by a sputtering method. The thin film is formed under the presence of gas including 70-99% of sputter gas incorporating 50vol% or more of Kr or Xe (with respect to sputter gas) and 1-30% of dinitrogen monoxide and oxygen. Since Kr or Xe having a large atomic weight is mainly used as the sputter gas in place of Ar, it is possible to avoid a damage exerted on the film by a recoil sputter gas atom even if a plasma is activated with application of high electric power, thus reducing resistivity of the film.