Properties of nanostructured cubic boron nitride films prepared by the short-pulse laser plasma deposition techniques

Nanostructured cubic boron nitride (BN) films were synthesized on molybdenum substrates by using the short-pulse laser plasma deposition techniques. The surface morphologies, chemical compositions, bond structures, and mechanical properties of the obtained BN thin films have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy, Raman scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive spectra, and hardness measurements. High power density laser deposition yielded boron-rich BN nanorod arrays where tBN component dominates. Reducing power density down to 8 × 10⁷ W/cm² during laser plasma deposition produced flat cBN thin films. Typical TO and LO bands in the Raman and FTIR spectra of the cBN samples were identified. The cBN sample with hardness up to 40 GPa was obtained.