This book, entitled Thin Films on Glass, is one of a series reporting on research and development activities on products and processes conducted by the Schott Group. The scientifically founded development of new products and technical pro­ cesses has traditionally been of vital importance to Schott and has always been performed on a scale determined by the prospects for application of our special glasses. Since the reconstruction of the Schott Glaswerke in Mainz, the scale has increased enormously. The range of expert knowledge required could never have been supplied by Schott alone. It is also a tradition in our company to cultivate collaboration with customers, universities, and research institutes. Publications in numerous technical journals, which since 1969 we have edited to a regular schedule as Forschungsberichte - 'research reports' - describe the results of these cooperations. They contain up-to-date infor­ mation on various topics for the expert but are not suited as survey material for those whose standpoint is more remote. This is the point where we would like to place our series, to stimulate the exchange of thoughts, so that we can consider from different points of view the possibilities offered by those incredibly versatile materials, glass and glass ceramics. We would like to share the knowledge won through our research and development at Schott in cooperation with the users of our materials with scientists and engineers, interested customers and friends, and with the employees of our firm.