PURPOSE: To prevent the mixing of colors and to provide satisfactory spectral characteristics by vapor-depositing a dye or coloring matter giving a prescribed spectrum on a part aligned with a resist layer formed in a prescribed region on a solid element.

CONSTITUTION: A prescribed pattern of a positive type photoresist is formed on a smoothened solid-state image pickup element 1, and a dye or coloring matter is vapor-deposited using the resist pattern as a protective mask. After removing the resist pattern by dissolution, a transparent protective film 5 is formed on the colored layer 4. By repeating said operation, a di- or trichromatic color filter is formed. Since the colored layers 3, 4 are formed on parts patterned with the positive type resist, the resolving power can be increased, and an accurate solid- state image pickup element is obtd. The colored layers 3, 4 of the resulting color filter are thin, the spectral characteristics of the filter in the element are easily made uniform, and the mixing of colors is prevented because the protective film 5 is present between the layers 3, 4. A troublesome stage such as dyeing is not required, so this method is advantageous to mass production.