Carbon-based materials and their applications constitute a burgeoning topic of scientific research among scientists and engineers drawn to the field from diverse areas such as applied physics, materials science, biology, mechanics, electronics and engineering. Further development of existing materials, advances in their applications, and discovery of new forms of carbon are the themes addressed by the frontier research in these fields. This book covers all the fundamental topics concerned with amorphous and crystalline C-based materials, such as diamond, diamond-like carbon, carbon alloys, and carbon nanotubes. The goal is, by coherently progressing from growth -- and characterization techniques to technological applications for each class of material -- to fashion the first comprehensive state-of-the-art review of this fast evolving field of research in carbon materials.