TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRONICS - Preferred Components: The semiconductor layer is a silicon semiconductor thin layer or a compound semiconductor thin layer.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The heating temperature is 300-600 degrees C. Preferred Components: The inert gas is nitrogen gas. The inorganic base material is a metal substrate, ceramic substrate, glass substrate, quartz substrate, or electronic device. The metal substrate is a thin and flexible metal plate (preferably stainless steel foil). Preferred Definitions:    n=0.05-0.50;    R=methyl, phenyl, or methyl (preferably phenyl).    EXAMPLE - Sodium octylsulfonate (1 g), toluene (200 ml), and concentrated hydrochloric acid (200 ml) were introduced into a four-neck flask. Then, while stirring at -25 to -30 degrees C and injecting a nitrogen gas flow, a liquid mixture of methylhydrogendichlorosilane (4.7 g) and hydrogentrichlorosilane (12.5 g) (methylhydrogendichlorosilane:hydrogentrichlorosilane molar ratio of 0.30:0.70) was added dropwise over 60 minutes from the dropping funnel. Stirring at room temperature was continued for 1 hour after the completion of addition, after which the organic layer was isolated, washed, and dried. The anhydrous magnesium sulfate powder was then filtered off; the toluene was removed by heating under reduced pressure using a rotary evaporator to form a residue. The residue was dried in a vacuum. The dried residue was a colorless, transparent liquid having the yield of 65%; and the molecular weight distribution presented several of peaks. Its viscosity was 25000 mPa.s; the weight-average molecular weight (Mw) was 27.5x 10; and the average siloxane unit formula of the methylhydrogensiloxane.hydrogensiloxane copolymer, as determined from the integrated values in the 29Si-NMR of the signal at -32.4 parts per million (ppm) assigned to the HMeSiO2/2 unit and the signal at -84.9 ppm assigned to the HSiO3/2 unit or the integrated values in the H-NMR of the signal at 4.71 ppm assigned to the HMeSiO2/2 unit and the signal at 4.3 ppm assigned to the HSiO3/2 unit, was (HMeSiO2/2)0.28(HSiO3/2)0.72. A liquid coating-forming agent (solids concentration=20 mass%) comprising toluene and the obtained liquid methylhydrogensiloxane.hydrogensiloxane copolymer was coated by spin coating on a thin stainless steel plate, i.e. stainless steel foil (cut to 150 mm square), that was 24 mu m thick and had a surface roughness Rmax of 56.7 nm, followed by heating for 2 hours at 200 degrees C. The resulting copolymer-coated stainless steel foil was introduced into an open cylindrical annular furnace and heated for 1 hour at 400 degrees C under a nitrogen gas current (oxygen gas concentration=50 ppm) and subsequently taken out. The stainless steel foil having a ceramic silicon oxide type coating was then gradually cooled to room temperature in a nitrogen gas atmosphere. Measurement of the properties of the ceramic silicon oxide type coating formed on the stainless steel foil gave a maximum thickness of 2.39 mu m, while atomic force microscope (AFM) inspection of the roughness of the surface of the ceramic silicon oxide type coating gave Rmax of 1 nm. The asperities on the surface of this stainless steel foil had been uniformly planarized. Microscopic inspection confirmed that cracks and pinholes were not present in this ceramic silicon oxide type coating.