Cubic boron nitride characterization

Cubic boron nitride (c-BN) is a different material altogether from h-BN, with a structure similar to that of diamond, which is characterized by extremely high hardness (second to diamond) and high thermal conductivity.As such, it is a material of great interest and a potential competitor to diamond, particularly for cutting and grinding applications. Its characteristics and properties are shown in Table 10.3... 

The effects of substrate temperature (Ts b) on cubic boron nitride (c-BN) films synthesized using magnetron sputtering were studied. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to characterize the structure and composition of the films. It is found that Ts , plays a crucial role on the formation of cubic phase, and an appropriate T, , can lead to a high content. A tentative explanation on the mechanism of such Ts b effects is reported with the most details. 

The structure of cubic boron nitride is of the zincblende (or sphalerite) type which is similar to that of diamond and p-SiC and is characterized by extremehardness and excellent chemical resistance. It is shown in Fig. 12.3. Note the similarity with Fig. 7.1 of Ch. 7. This structure is relatively simple in the sense that it is essentially isotropic, in contrast with the pronounced anisotropy of hexagonal boron nitride. It can be visualized as a stacking of puckered infinite 111 layers or as two face-centered interpenetrating cubic sublattices, one consisting entirely of boron atoms and the other entirely of nitrogen atoms.I l... 

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