Metal containing carbon thin films were prepared using a reactive sputter deposition technique. A number of growth parameters, including argon to methane ratio, working pressure, electrode distance, and d.c. power were examined. Metallic elements in the resulting films are uniformly-distributed nanoparticles with various sizes, depending on the metal type and growth parameters. Correlation was made among the argon/methane ratio, the deposition rate and the composition. Crystallinity and microstructure of the resulting films were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy and Raman microscopy.