Embodiments of the invention relate to deposition of a conformal carbon-based material. In one embodiment, the method comprises depositing a sacrificial dielectric layer with a predetermined thickness over a substrate, forming patterned features on the substrate by removing portions of the sacrificial dielectric layer to expose an upper surface of the substrate, introducing a hydrocarbon source, a plasma-initiating gas, and a dilution gas into the processing chamber, wherein a volumetric flow rate of hydrocarbon source: plasma-initiating gas: dilution gas is in a ratio of 1:0.5:20, generating a plasma at a deposition temperature of about 300 C to about 500 C to deposit a conformal amorphous carbon layer on the patterned features and the exposed upper surface of the substrate, selectively removing the amorphous carbon layer from an upper surface of the patterned features and the upper surface of the substrate, and removing the patterned features.