This paper reviews the factors governing the properties of thin films coated on glass surface, in order to provide newly optical and/or mechanical properties for a normal flat glass. The durability mechanisms of sputtering ZrO₂-B₂O₃ film, that provide mechanical and chemical durabilites for glass, are discussed in terms of surface roughness caused by the presence of crystalline grain and changes in the borate structure. Furthermore, in the case of the ultraviolet (UV) rays shielding glass, performed by the deposition of sol-gel film containing cerium oxide as a UV absorption substance, the factors governing the UV absorption properties are described on the basis of both oxidation and coordination states of the cerium element. Additionally, as an example of the phenomenon related to the sputter deposition process, differences in the structures of the films between reactive and oxide target sputtering methods as a typical deposition technique of metal oxide film are explained by the effects of O⁻ ion implantation into substrate during the deposition. In these practical examples, the applications of advanced surface analytical techniques including XPS have been mentioned to characterize successfully the thin films coated on glass substrates, and this may contribute to the development of highly efficient glass applications.