We present the preparation and characterization of thin films of several carbon-based compounds. Boron carbide films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) in vacuum using sintered B4C as raw material. In the environment of an ECR nitrogen plasma and with bombardment by the low-energy plasma stream, carbon nitride films were prepared by ablating a graphite target, while a sintered B4C target was used to prepare thin films of boron carbon nitride (BCN). The prepared films with smooth surface were found to be adhesive to the substrates and contain several chemical bonds with atomic hybridization rather than a simple mixture of B-N, B-C and C-N phases. Pulsed laser ablation of the target is efficient for the target material to be transferred to a nearby substrate. For nitride film preparation, the assistance of the reactive ECR nitrogen plasma is responsible for nitrogen incorporation and favorable for nitride formation. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.