The plasma emission spectra generated during the deposition process of Si-based thin films by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering using Cu and Al targets in an argon atmosphere were acquired by the plasma analysis system, which consists of a magnetron sputtering apparatus, an Omni-λ300 series grating spectrometer, a CCD data acquisition system and an optical fiber transmission system. The variation in Cu and Al plasma emission spectra intensity depending on sputtering conditions, such as sputtering time, sputtering power, the target-to-substrate distance and deposition pressure, was studied by using the analysis lines CuⅠ324.754 nm, CuⅠ327.396 nm, CuⅠ333.784 nm, CuⅠ353.039 nm, AlⅠ394.403 nm and AlⅠ396.153 nm. Compared with the option of experimental parameters of thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering, it was shown that emission spectra analysis methods play a guiding role in optimizing the deposition conditions of thin films in RF magnetron sputtering.