Detection of intrinsic stress in cubic boron nitride films by x-ray absorption near-edge structure: Stress relaxation mechanisms by simultaneous ion implantation during growth

The bonding structure of cubic boron nitride (cBN) films with different levels of intrinsic stress (1–10 GPa) has been studied from the K-shell x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES). The stress level was tuned by the damage induced from simultaneous medium-energy ion implantation (1–10 keV) during growth. The films show a dominant sp3 arrangement for damage values below a certain threshold, with an appreciable sp3 to sp2 transformation taking place above this limit. Interestingly, the degree of stress in sp3 structures is reflected in the B 1s spectral line shape, which progressively converges to that of stress-free cBN powder for increasing ion damage. These results indicate that stress buildup and release occur at a microscopic level. The changes in the spectral line shape are correlated with modifications in the electronic structure due to the presence of intrinsic stress and bond distortion within the cubic network, as predicted by density functional theory calculations. Our findings reveal the potential of XANES spectroscopy to detect stress in disordered BN systems.