The electrical and optical properties of diamondlike carbon films deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering on Si substrates at room temperature have been measured as a function of the ion energy (Eion) and ion-to-carbon flux (Jion/JC). The results show that, in the ranges of 5 eV⩽Eion⩽85 eV and 1.1⩽Jion/JC⩽6.8, the presence of defective graphite formed by subplanted C and Ar atoms, voids, and the surface roughness, are the dominant influences on the resistivity and optical absorption