Large quantities of carbon onions with high purity were synthesized by radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The produced carbon onions are solid, clean and can be separated easily from the catalytic particles. The formation of onions is based on the formation of many cages in successive stages from the core to the surface. Around the edge of a carbon onion, discontinuous curved lines are shown in the high-resolution TEM image, reflecting the wavy behavior of carbon onions.