<p>A sputtering target which is formed from a material comprising silicon carbide and silicon, and has a volume percentage of silicon carbide of 50 to 70 %, wherein the volume percentage of silicon carbide is represented by the formula: volume percentage of silicon carbide (%) = total volume of silicon carbide/(total volume of silicon carbide + total volume of silicon) X 100. The sputtering target allows the adjustment over a widened range of the refractive index of the resultant coating layer through the control of the flow rate of an oxygen gas or a nitrogen gas or the control of the electric power to be infused.</p>
