Substrate effects in cubic boron nitride film formation Available to Purchase

We have examined the effect of the substrate in cubic boron nitride (c‐BN) film synthesis by depositing BN films on a variety of materials using ion‐assisted pulsed laser deposition. Using optical modeling, we estimated the c‐BN content of the films from the measured infrared reflectance spectra. We find less c‐BN in films grown on metal substrates than in films grown on Si and SiC/Si substrates. The c‐BN content of the films decreased with decreasing substrate microhardness. This result is qualitatively consistent with the model of stress‐induced c‐BN film formation.