Carbon nitride thin films are deposited by combining XeCl pulsed laser deposition with additional dc glow discharge. The morphology, composition, structure and bonding status of the films are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger electron spectroscopy. The results show that the deposited films are mainly composed of crystalline carbon nitride and amorphous silicon nitride. The carbon nitride in the film exist in mixed phases of α- and β-C3N4 and the crystalline grain size is in the range of 40—60nm, The XPS studies indicate that carbon atoms of the films are mainly bonded to nitrogen in sp3 C—N bonds while most of the nitrogen atoms are in N—Si bonds.