The phase composition and chemical bonding of Zr-C and Zr-Si-C films deposited by magnetron sputtering has been studied. The results show that the binary Zr-C films at higher carbon contents form nanocrystallites of ZrC in an amorphous carbon matrix. The addition of Si induces a complete amorphization of the films above a critical concentration of about 15 at.%. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy confirm that the amorphous films contain no nanocrystallites and therefore can be described as truly amorphous carbides. The amorphous films are thermally stable but start to crystallize above 500 degrees C. Analysis of the chemical bonding with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggests that the amorphous films exhibit a mixture of different chemical bonds such as Zr-C, Zr-Si and Si-C and that the electrical and mechanical properties are dependent on the distribution of these bonds. For higher carbon contents, strong Si-C bonds are formed in the amorphous Zr-Si-C films making them harder than the corresponding binary Zr-C films. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.