TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The substrate comprises silicon, silicon oxide, metal film, stainless steel, a metal oxide, a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, hexagonal boron nitride, a c-oriented sapphire wafer, zinc sulfide, a polymer substrate or a combination of at least two of these substrates. The protective layer comprises a material exhibiting a melting point of greater than or equal to 800 degrees C. The protective layer comprises a metal, a metal oxide, ceramic, a semiconductor oxide or a semiconductor nitride. The protective layer comprises copper, nickel, palladium, gold, silver, aluminum, molybdenum, copper oxide, nickel oxide, palladium oxide, aluminum oxide, molybdenum oxide, gallium nitride, silicon nitride, silicon oxide or a combination of at least two of the materials. The catalyst layer comprises nickel, cobalt, iron, gold, aluminum, chromium, copper, magnesium, molybdenum, rhodium, silicon, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, zirconium or a combination of at least two these metals.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The carbon thin film comprises a graphite layer, a graphene layer, a few-layer graphene or an amorphous carbon layer. Preferred Method: The formation of the polymer layer comprises applying a first mixture comprising the polymer and a solvent, or a second mixture comprising a precursor of the polymer and a solvent, on the substrate by a coating method. The heat treatment is carried out under conditions, in which the polymers present in the polymer layer are carbonized. The heat treatment is carried out in an inert or vacuum atmosphere at a thermolysis temperature of the polymers present in the polymer layer, preferably at 2500 degrees C for 30 seconds to 5 days. The method further comprises: providing the protective layer and/or the polymer layer with a pattern, to produce a desired pattern in micro- or nanoscale before carrying out the heat treatment; or providing carbon thin film with a pattern to produce a desired pattern in micro- or nanoscale after carrying out the heat treatment. The method further comprises: forming a catalyst layer on the substrate before forming the polymer layer; stabilizing the polymer layer by heat pretreatment of the polymer layer before forming the protective layer; removing the protective layer after forming the carbon thin film; removing the catalyst layer after forming the carbon thin film; and transferring the produced carbon thin film on another substrate.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The polymer layer comprises a polymer comprising an insulating polymer. The insulating polymer comprises carbon and hydrogen, and a non-conjugated main chain. The insulating polymer exhibits a thermolysis temperature of less than or equal to 600 degrees C. The polymer layer comprises a polymer comprising a hydrocarbon repeating unit of formula (X-(C(R1)(R2)-C(R3)(CY1))-X) (I), (X-(C(R4)(R5)-C(R6)(C(R7)=Y2))-X) (II) or (III).Y1 = N (preferred) or C(R11);Y2 = O (preferred), S, N(R12) or C(R13)(R14);Y4, Y5 = N or C(R15);R1-R10 = 1-30C alkyl, 1-30C alkoxy, 6-30C aryl, 6-30C arylalkyl, 6-30C aryloxy, 2-30C heteroaryl, 2-30C heteroaralkyl, 2-30C heteroaryloxy, 5-20C cycloalkyl, 2-30C heterocycloalkyl, 1-30C alkyl ester, 6-30C aryl ester, 2-30C heteroaryl ester (all optionally substituted), H, -NO2, -CN, -OH, -COOH, halo or -N(Q1)(Q2);Q1, Q2 = H, 1-30C alkyl, 6-30C aryl or 2-30C heteroaryl;A1 = 6-30C aryl or 2-30C heteroaryl (all optionally substituted), preferably phenyl, naphthyl or pyridinyl (all optionally substituted);X = binding site with an adjacent repeating unit;R11-R15 = H, -NO2, -CN, -OH, -COOH, halo, 1-10C alkyl, 1-10C alkoxy or -N(Q3)(Q4); andQ3, Q4 = H or 1-10C alkyl. EXAMPLE - Silicon oxide layer with a thickness of 300 nm was formed on a silicon substrate (2 cm x 2 cm). Then the surface of the silicon oxide layer was hydrophilically modified by treating with UV light or ozone for 30 minutes. Then a solution (2 wt.%) of polystyrene (weight average molecular weight of 130000 g/mole) in dimethylformamide was applied on the silicon oxide layer by spin coating and baked for 3 minutes at 100 degrees C to remove the solvent, and to form a polystyrene layer with a thickness of 10 nm. Then nickel was deposited on the polystyrene layer to form a nickel protective layer with a thickness of 50 nm. Then the substrate was introduced into a quartz tube and placed in an oven. Then the substrate was subjected to heat-treatment using halogen lamp as heat source for 1 minute at 1000 degrees C under a steady stream of argon gas (50 standard cubic centimeters per minute) and hydrogen gas (10 standard cubic centimeters per minute) in the quartz tube. After the heat treatment, the quartz tube containing the substrate was removed from the oven and cooled naturally. Then the carbon thin film was separated from the substrate. The obtained carbon thin film exhibited a size of 2 cm x 2 cm and a thickness of 10 nm.