Process for producing a thin layer of at least one amphiphilic compound on a support, whereby an at least partially oriented layer of molecules of an amphiphilic compound is produced by compression and expansion at the interphase between a fluid and a polar liquid, a solid support is moved through said layer and the layer is thereby transferred onto said solid. To this end, an oriented current of the polar liquid containing on its surface the expanded amphiphilic molecules in dissolved or insoluble form is generated in a generally horizontally oriented channel and is retained by a weir which is provided at the interphase between fluid and polar liquid. The rate of flow and, if applicable, the concentration of the amphiphilic molecules are selected in such a manner that a layer of amphiphilic molecules is continually produced by compression before the weir at the interphase between fluid and polar liquid. The corresponding device comprises a horizontally oriented current channel for receiving a liquid, a weir arranged at the interphase for retaining the surface current in the channel, a device for producing a current of the liquid and a device for dipping a solid support into the channel near the weir and removing it therefrom slowly and in a controlled manner.