Hydrogenated amorphous carbon nitride (a-CN x :H) films were formed on p-Si wafers set on a lower electrode by pulsed supermagnetron plasma CVD using i-C 4 H 10 and N 2 gases. Lower electrode RF power (LORF) of 13.56 MHz (50-800 W) was modulated by a 2.5-kHz pulse at a duty ratio of 12.5%, and upper electrode RF power (UPRF) of 50-400 W was supplied continuously. The optical band gap decreased with an increase in LORF at each UPRF. The open circuit voltage of Au/a-CN x :H/p-Si photovoltaic cells (a-CN x :H film thickness: 25 nm) was about 200 mV for each cell, and the short circuit current density and energy conversion efficiency increased with LORF for each UPRF. The highest energy conversion efficiency of 0.81% was obtained at UPRF/LORF of 200/800 W.