Carbon nitride films were synthesized by hot filament assisted plasma sputtering. These films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectrometry, and FTIR absorption spectra. The largest N to C atomic ratio obtained from AES was 21 at%. Raman bands at low frequency confirmed the existence of beta-C3N4 phase.