Cubic boron nitride (c-BN) thin films were deposited on silicon,nickel,stainless steel and Ni-coated silicon substrates by hot filament enhanced plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD).The films were characterized by infrared spectroscopy(IR), X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and X-ray photoelectron spectra(XPS).It was found that the quality of c-BN thin films varied with deposition conditions and substrates.Under optimum conditions,thin films with high percentage of c-BN and good adhesion were deposited on Ni substrate.When sputtering a Ni interlayer on Si substrate prior to the growth,the c-BN content of the films increased and an excellent adhesion was obtained.