To provide a target material for forming a carbon film capable of stably forming the carbon protective film which is homogeneous and excellent in hardness with excellent yield for a long time by sputtering.

A target material is formed of glass-like carbon sheet of the crystalline properties in which the difference in the mean lattice surface clearance d002 of the graphite hexagonal network layer is ≤0.01nm, the difference in the crystal size Lc(002) is ≤1.5nm at a surface layer part and a center part. Preferably, the value of the mean lattice surface clearance d002 of the graphite hexagonal network layer at the center part is 0.345-0.365nm, and the crystalline size Lc(002) is 1.3-4.0nm.