A magnetically contained glow discharge has been developed for production of thin polymer insulating films. The glow discharge is maintained by an electrodeless radio‐frequency source external to the system. Film growth rates of 1200Aå/min of polystyrene have been achieved with very little substrate heating or shadowing of the polymer films. The controlled glow discharge has been used to make thin film capacitors whose plates are evaporated metal films. Insulating films as thin as 100Aå have been produced from several organic monomers.