To provide a handling (i.e., sheet film holding/carrying) technique suitable for automation capable of efficiently handling an object to process such as a sheet film, its peripheral art, and a thin film forming apparatus using the same.

A sheet film holder comprises an upper ring Rup of an annulus type aluminum ring having a plurality of permanent magnets 92 mounted therethrough, and a lower ring Rdw made of aluminum shaped in the same form as the upper ring Rup having a plurality of permanent magnets 93 mounted therethrough at respective positions corresponding to the plurality of permanent magnets 92 in the upper ring Rup. A sheet film F is held between both permanent magnets 92 and 93 which are magnetically attracted so as to form a ring body RF, which is transportable by a transfer robot.