Hardness and Young's modulus of high-quality cubic boron nitride films grown by chemical vapor deposition

The elastic and mechanical properties of high-quality cubic boron nitride (cBN) films with a few, microns thickness and submicron grain size grown on silicon substrates by chemical vapor deposition were determined by measuring the dispersion of surface acoustic waves propagating along the surface of the layered system. The values are compared with those obtained with an ultralow load indenter (Triboscope). Specifically, the hardness, Young's modulus and density of the film were measured.