15N 2 + molecular ions with an energy of 12 keV were implanted in glassy carbon and 40 keV 15N + ions were implanted into different carbon forms (glassy carbon, graphite and polycrystalline diamond) at room temperature in order to form thin carbon nitride layers. The nitrogen depth profiles were measured using the resonant nuclear reaction 15N(p, αγ) 12C ( E res = 429 keV, Γ = 120 eV) by varying the projectile energy during the analysis. In the case of the 6 keV implantation the saturation dose was 8 × 10 16 at./cm 2 whereas for the 40 keV implantation the saturation dose was found to be 3.9 × 10 17 at./cm 2. A maximum nitrogen concentration of 25 at.% was measured at both implantation energies. The saturation dose, the maximal attainable nitrogen concentration and the form of the 15N depth distribution are not dependent on the used carbon form. Sputtering yield measurements showed that the sputter process (measured sputtering yield < 0.2) is not responsible for the saturation dose (4 × 10 17 at./cm 2) and the maximal attainable nitrogen concentration (25 at.%). For the formation of carbon-nitrogen bonds, samples with an implanted fluence of 6 × 10 17 ions/cm 2 were rapidly heated for 120 s using an electron beam. A reduction of the dose from 4 × 10 17 at./cm 2 to 1.3 × 10 17 at./cm 2 was observed indicating the formation of a carbon nitride phase stable to temperatures up to 1000°C.