Sputter deposition of cubic boron nitride films

Cubic boron nitride (c-BN) films can be prepared by sputter deposition. Targets, mostly hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) or boron, which have low electrical conductivities, will be used. For the application of effective and reliable d.c. magnetron sputter techniques, conducting target materials are necessary. Boron carbide (B{sub 4}C) was proven to be a suitable candidate. A d.c. magnetron sputter process was developed in three phases. At first a r.f. diode sputter process was optimized for a h-BN target and transferred to a B{sub 4}C target, followed by d.c. magnetron sputtering experiments with the boron carbide target. Correlations between process parameters and film properties as well as some structural features of the sputter deposited films will be reported.