The origin and evolution of granites has been widely studied because granitoid rocks constitute a major portion of the Earth ́s crust. The formation of granitic magma is, besides temperature mainly triggered by the water content of these rocks. The presence of water in magmas plays an important role due to the ability of aqueous fluids to change the chemical composition of the magma. The exsolution of aqueous fluids from melts is closely linked to a fractionation of elements between the two phases. Then, aqueous fluids migrate to shallower parts of the Earth ́s crust because of it ́s lower density compared to that of melts and adjacent rocks. This process separates fluids and melts, and furthermore, during the ascent, aqueous fluids can react with the adjacent rocks and alter their chemical signature. This is particularly impor- tant during the formation of magmatic-hydrothermal ore deposits or in the late stages of the evolution of magmatic complexes. For a deeper insight to these processes, it is essential to improve our knowledge on element behavior in such systems. In particular, trace elements are used for these studies and petrogenetic interpretations because, unlike major elements, they are not essential for the stability of the phases involved and often reflect magmatic processes with less ambiguity. However, for the majority of important trace elements, the dependence of the geochemical behavior on temperature, pressure, and in particular on the composition of the system are only incompletely or not at all experimentally studied. Former studies often fo- cus on the determination of fluid−melt partition coefficients (Df/m=cfluid/cmelt) of economically interesting elements, e.g., Mo, Sn, Cu, and there are some partitioning data available for ele- ments that are also commonly used for petrological interpretations. At present, no systematic experimental data on trace element behavior in fluid−melt systems as function of pressure, temperature, and chemical composition are available. Additionally, almost all existing data are based on the analysis of quenched phases. This results in substantial uncertainties, particularly for the quenched aqueous fluid because trace element concentrations may change upon cooling. The objective of this PhD thesis consisted in the study of fluid−melt partition coefficients between aqueous solutions and granitic melts for different trace elements (Rb, Sr, Ba, La, Y, and Yb) as a function of temperature, pressure, salinity of the fluid, composition of the melt, and experimental and analytical approach. The latter included the refinement of an existing method to measure trace element concentrations in fluids equilibrated with silicate melts di- rectly at elevated pressures and temperatures using a hydrothermal diamond-anvil cell and synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence microanalysis. The application of this in-situ method enables to avoid the main source of error in data from quench experiments, i.e., trace element concentration in the fluid. A comparison of the in-situ results to data of conventional quench experiments allows a critical evaluation of quench data from this study and literature data. In detail, starting materials consisted of a suite of trace element doped haplogranitic glasses with ASI varying between 0.8 and 1.4 and H2O or a chloridic solution with m NaCl/KCl=1 and different salinities (1.16 to 3.56 m (NaCl+KCl)). Experiments were performed at 750 to 950◦C and 0.2 or 0.5 GPa using conventional quench devices (externally and internally heated pressure vessels) with different quench rates, and at 750◦C and 0.2 to 1.4 GPa with in-situ analysis of the trace element concentration in the fluids. The fluid−melt partitioning data of all studied trace elements show 1. a preference for the melt (Df/m < 1) at all studied conditions, 2. one to two orders of magnitude higher Df/m using chloridic solutions compared to experiments with H2O, 3. a clear dependence on the melt composition for fluid−melt partitioning of Sr, Ba, La, Y, and Yb in experiments using chloridic solutions, 4. quench rate−related differences of fluid−melt partition coefficients of Rb and Sr, and 5. distinctly higher fluid−melt partitioning data obtained from in-situ experiments than from comparable quench runs, particularly in the case of H2O as starting solution. The data point to a preference of all studied trace elements for the melt even at fairly high salinities, which contrasts with other experimental studies, but is supported by data from studies of natural co-genetically trapped fluid and melt inclusions. The in-situ measurements of trace element concentrations in the fluid verify that aqueous fluids will change their composition upon cooling, which is in particular important for Cl free systems. The distinct differences of the in-situ results to quench data of this study as well as to data from the literature signify the im- portance of a careful fluid sampling and analysis. Therefore, the direct measurement of trace element contents in fluids equilibrated with silicate melts at elevated PT conditions represents an important development to obtain more reliable fluid−melt partition coefficients. For further improvement, both the aqueous fluid and the silicate melt need to be analyzed in-situ because partitioning data that are based on the direct measurement of the trace element content in the fluid and analysis of a quenched melt are still not completely free of quench effects. At present, all available data on element complexation in aqueous fluids in equilibrium with silicate melts at high PT are indirectly derived from partitioning data, which involves in these experiments assumptions on the species present in the fluid. However, the activities of chemical components in these partitioning experiments are not well constrained, which is required for the definition of exchange equilibria between melt and fluid species. For example, the melt-dependent variation of partition coefficient observed for Sr imply that this element can not only be complexed by Cl− as suggested previously. The data indicate a more complicated complexation of Sr in the aqueous fluid. To verify this hypothesis, the in-situ setup was also used to determine strontium complexation in fluids equilibrated with silicate melts at desired PT conditions by the application of X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. First results show a strong effect of both fluid and melt composition on the resulting XANES spectra, which indicates different complexation environments for Sr. / Die Entstehung und Entwicklung von Graniten steht seit Jahrzehnten im Fokus vieler geologischer Studien, da sich die Erdkruste zu großen Teilen aus granitoiden Gesteinen zusammensetzt. Von besonderer Bedeutung für die Bildung von granitischen Schmelzen ist neben der Temperatur, der Wassergehalt der Schmelze, da dieser Parameter die chemische Zusammensetzung der Schmelze entscheidend verändern kann. Die Entmischung wässriger Fluide aus Schmelzen führt zur Neuverteilung von Elementen zwischen diesen Phasen. Bedingt durch die geringere Dichte des wässrigen Fluids im Vergleich zur Schmelze und dem Nebengestein, beginnt dieses aus tieferen Erdschichten aufzusteigen. Damit verknüpft ist nicht nur eine räumliche Trennung von Schmelze und Fluid, sondern auch die Alterierung des Nebengestein. Dieser Prozess ist insbesondere bei der Bildung von magmatisch-hydrothermalen Lagerstätten und in späten Entwicklungsstadien magmatischer Komplexe wichtig. Für ein detailliertes Verständnis dieser Prozesse ist es notwendig, das Elementverhalten in solchen Systemen in Abhängigkeit von Parametern wie Temperatur, Druck und chemischer Zusammensetzung des Systems experimentell zu untersuchen, und Elementverteilungskoeffizienten als Funktion dieser Variablen zu bestimmen. Für die Untersuchungen sind insbesondere Spurenelemente geeignet, da diese im Gegensatz zu Hauptelementen nicht essentiell für die Stabilität weiterer auftretender Phasen sind, aber sehr sensibel auf Änderungen intensiver Variablen reagieren können. Zudem werden bei geochemischen Mineral- und Gesteinsanalysen viele Spurenelemente, Spurenelementverhältnisse, und Spurenelementisotope als petrogenetische Indikatoren verwendet, d.h. diese Daten liefern Informationen darüber, wann und in welcher Tiefe und bei welchen chemischen Bedingungen ein Gestein gebildet worden ist, und welche weiteren Prozesse es auf dem Weg zur Erdoberfläche durchlaufen hat. Allerdings sind für vie- le Spurenelemente die Abhängigkeiten der Verteilung zwischen Fluiden und Schmelzen von intensiven Variablen nicht, oder nur unzureichend experimentell untersucht worden. Zusätzlich dazu basiert die Mehrheit der experimentell gewonnenen Verteilungskoeffizienten und deren Interpretation, insbesondere hinsichtlich der Elementkomplexierung im Fluid, auf der Analyse von schnell abgekühlten Phasen. Bisher ist nicht geklärt, ob solche Analysen repräsentativ sind für die Zusammensetzungen der Phasen bei hohen Drücken und Temperaturen. Das Ziel dieser Studie war die Erarbeitung eines experimentellen Datensatzes zur Spu- renelementverteilung zwischen granitischen Schmelzen und wässrigen Fluiden in Abhängigkeit von der Schmelzzusammensetzung, der Salinität des Fluids, des Drucks und der Temperatur. Ein Hauptanliegen der Arbeit bestand in der Weiterentwicklung einer experimentellen Methode bei welcher der Spurenelementgehalt im Fluid in-situ, d.h. unter hohen Drücken und Temperaturen, und im Gleichgewicht mit einer silikatischen Schmelze bestimmt wird. Die so gewonnenen Daten können anschließend mit den Resultaten von Abkühlexperimenten vergli- chen werden, um diese und auch Literaturdaten kritisch zu bewerten. Die Daten aller unter- suchten Spurenelemente dieser Arbeit (Rb, Sr, Ba, La, Y und Yb) zeigen: 1. unter den untersuchten Bedingungen eine Präferenz für die Schmelze unabhängig von der chemischen Zusammensetzung von Schmelze und Fluid, Druck oder Temperatur, 2. die Verwendung von chloridhaltigen Fluiden kann die Verteilungskoeffizienten um 1 bis 2 Größenordnungen anheben und 3. für die Verteilungskoeffizienten von Sr, Ba, La, Y und Yb eine starke Abhängigkeit von der Schmelzzusammensetzung im chloridischen System. Der Vergleich der Daten der verschiedenen Methoden zeigt, dass insbesondere für chloridfreie Fluide große Diskrepanzen zwischen den in-situ Daten und Analysen von abgeschreckten Proben bestehen. Dieses Ergebnis beweist eindeutig, dass beim Abschrecken der Proben Rückreaktionen stattfinden, und dass Daten, welche auf Analysen abgeschreckter Fluide basieren, nur eingeschränkt verwendet werden sollten. Die Variation der Verteilungskoeffizienten von Sr, Ba, La, Yb, und Y als Funktion der Schmelzzusammensetzung ist entweder auf eine Änderung der Komplexierung im Fluid und/oder einen anderen veränderten Einbau dieser Elemente in die Schmelze zurückzuführen. Daher wurde im Rahmen dieser Arbeit erstmals versucht, die Elementkomplexierung in silikatischen Fluiden direkt bei hohen Temperaturen und Drücken zu bestimmen. Die Daten für Sr zeigen, dass abhängig von der Schmelzzusammensetzung unterschiedliche Komplexe stabil sein müssen.

In this thesis we study the interaction of helium, neon, argon and gallium ions with graphene. The graphene structure is contaminated with gallium ions during the graphene processing by focused gallium beam (FIB). The graphene properties are affected, e.g. reducing the electrical conductivity. The aim of this thesis is to verify the effect of selected ion beams on the graphene structure and select suitable ion beam for sputtering. Furthermore, the modification of standard heating stage used in LEIS instrument (Qtac 100) was designed and implemented. The LEIS instrument is connected to the complex UHV system for deposition and analysis of nanostructures – SPECS. This modification allows analysis of selected nanoparticles on suitable substrate at the elevated temperature.

No description available.

No description available.

The aim of the presented work was to deposit cubic boron nitride thin films by magnetron sputtering under simultaneous stress relaxation by ion implantation. An in situ instrument based on laser deflectometry on cantilever structures and in situ ellipsometry, was used for in situ stress measurements. The characteristic evolution of the instantaneous stress during the layered growth of cBN films observed in IBAD experiments, could be reproduced for magnetron sputter deposition. To achieve simultaneous stress relaxation by ion implantation, a complex bipolar pulsed substrate bias source was constructed. This power supply enables the growth of cBN thin films under low energy ion irradiation (up to 200 eV) and, for the first time, the simultaneous implantation of ions with an energy of up to 8 keV during high voltage pulses. It was demonstrated that the instantaneous stress in cBN thin films can be released down to -1.1 GPa by simultaneous ion bombardment during the high voltage pulses. A simultaneous stress relaxation during growth is possible in the total investigated ion energy range between 2.5 and 8 keV. These are the lowest ion energies reported for the stress relaxation in cBN. Since such a substrate bias power supply is easy to integrate in existing process lines, this result is important for industrial deposition of thin films, not only for cubic boron nitride films. It was found that the amount of stress relaxation depends on the number of atomic displacements (displacements per atom: dpa) that are induced by the high energy ion bombardment and is therefore dependent on the ion energy and the high energy ion flux. In practise, this means that the stress relaxation is controlled by the product of the pulse voltage and the pulse duty cycle or frequency. The cantilever bending measurements were complemented on microscopic scale by x-ray diffraction (XRD). The analysis of the cBN (111) lattice distances revealed a pronounced biaxial compressive state of stress in a non-relaxed cBN film with d(111) being larger in out-of-plane than in in-plane direction. Post deposition annealing at 900 ° C of a sample with an ion induced damage of 1.2 dpa, resulted in a complete relaxation of the lattice with equal in-plane and out-of-plane lattice parameters. In the case of medium-energy ion bombardment, the in-plane and out-of-plane lattice parameters approach the value of the annealed sample with increasing ion damage. This is a clear evidence for stress relaxation within the cBN lattice. The stability of cBN under ion bombardment was investigated by IR spectroscopy and XRD. The crystalline cBN was found to be very stable against ion irradiation. However a short-range ordered, sp3/sp2 - mixed phase may exist in the films, which could be preferably converted to a sp2 -phase at high damage values. From the analysis of the near surface region by XANES, it can be concluded the stress relaxation by the energetic ion bombardment is less at the surface than in the bulk film. This is explained with the dynamic profile of the ion induced damage, that reaches the stationary bulk value in 15-20 nm depth, whereas it is decreasing towards the surface. This fits with the results that the stress relaxation is dependent on the amount of ion induced damage. Comparing the results from substrate curvature measurement, XRD, XANES, and IR spectroscopy possible mechanisms of stress relaxation are discussed. Concluding the results, it can be stated that using simultaneous ion implantation for stress relaxation during the deposition it is possible to produce BN films with a high amount of the cubic phase and with very low residual stress.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird das Konzept einer druckbasierten Analyse von Fest-Gas-Gleichgewichten hinsichtlich theoretischer wie experimenteller Zusammenhänge untersucht. Hierfür erfolgt eine gezielte Nutzung der Beziehungen von theoretischen und experimentell zugänglichen physikalischen Parametern, um so die Grundlage für eine spätere Anwendung im Kontext der Syntheseplanung zu ermöglichen. Im Speziellen handelt es sich im vorgestellten Konzept um die aus festkörperanalytischer Sicht häufig vernachlässigte Beziehung zwischen dem Dampfdruck von Festkörpern und dem chemischen Potenzial. Neben der theoretischen Erarbeitung des Analysekonzeptes befasst sich die vorgestellte Arbeit zusätzlich mit dessen experimenteller Umsetzung anhand der Entwicklung bzw. Optimierung der Analyseverfahren der Hochtemperatur-Gasphasenwaage sowie des automatisierten Membrannullmanometers. Abgeschlossen wird die Arbeit zudem durch die anschauliche Vorstellung der praktischen Anwendung des Konzeptes hinsichtlich unterschiedlicher Fragestellungen (Theorie vs. Experiment: Quecksilber/Phosphor/Iod, Analyse der Phasenbildung: Arsen/Phosphor, rationale Syntheseplanung: IrPTe, Syntheseoptimierung: Bi13P3I7, Kinetik: FeAs).

L’essai de type simple recouvrement est très largement utilisé dans l’industrie automobile pour évaluer la compatibilité entre une tôle d’acier et une colle. Dans ce cadre, deux critères de validation ont été définis par les constructeurs automobiles : un chargement à rupture minimum, et un facies de rupture cohésif. La rupture au niveau de l’interface colle/acier (rupture interfaciale), ne permet pas d’attester d’une bonne adhésion entre la colle et la tôle, elle n’est donc pas acceptée. Ainsi dans certains cas, l’assemblage n’est pas validé à cause de son faciès de rupture, même s’il démontre une résistance mécanique élevée. Une meilleure compréhension du phénomène de rupture interfaciale permettrait d’adapter le cahier des charges des constructeurs automobiles. Le premier objectif de la thèse a été de comprendre les mécanismes de rupture qui peuvent engendrer une rupture interfaciale. Des études expérimentales et numériques ont montré que la rigidité de la tôle a une forte influence sur la cinématique de déformation de l’éprouvette (rotation, plasticité de la tôle, effet de bords), et qu’elle influe beaucoup sur le faciès de rupture. La déformation plastique de la tôle semble être un paramètre-clef favorisant la rupture interfaciale. En effet, une étude à l’échelle microscopique sur la structure hétérogène du revêtement galvanique de la tôle a mis en évidence la présence de déformations localisées très importantes, qui semblent capable d’endommager l’interface collée. Le second objectif de la thèse a été de caractériser mécaniquement une interface tôle/adhésif. Deux méthodes complémentaires ont été proposées. La première consistait à caractériser l’interface dans des conditions « pures » de sollicitation, grâce à l’essai Arcan modifié. La seconde méthode a permis d’évaluer la capacité de l’interfaces à résister à un effet de bord, grâce à un essai de flexion trois points sur une éprouvette en coin. / The single lap-shear test is widely used by carmakers to characterize the adhesion of bonded joints. Two criteria govern the validation of the adhesion properties in the bonded joints: the shear strength and the failure mode which has to be cohesive. However, in some special cases, particularly when thin mild galvanized steel substrates were bonded with structural toughened adhesive, an interfacial pattern is obtained instead of cohesive failure. So the bonded assembly is not accepted even if its shear load at failure is high. A better understanding of the interfacial failure is required to adapt the carmakers specifications. The first objective of the PhD thesis was to analyze the critical phenomenon which favor the interfacial failure during single lap test. Substrate rigidity has significant effect on the failure pattern, because it influences the kinematic of deformation of the sample (rotation, steel plasticity, edge effect). Steel plasticity has been identified as a key factor for interfacial failure. The galvanized coating of the steel has a heterogeneous structure, which generate significant heterogeneous strain that could damage the interface. The second objective was to characterize the strength of the substrate-adhesive interface. Two methods have been proposed. The first one enable to measure the strength of an interface which homogeneous loading without edge effect (modified Arcan test). In the second method, the interface capability to resist to edge effects has been assessed. Thus, three different interfaces have been characterized using a three point bending test and thanks to an optical microscopy in situ analysis.

Condensed phase membrane introduction mass spectrometry (CP-MIMS) is a direct, in situ analysis technique that is well suited to persistent organic pollutants, pesticides, and other small molecules. In CP-MIMS, neutral analytes permeate a hollow fibre membrane, typically polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), driven by a concentration gradient. Analytes are subsequently dissolved by a liquid (condensed) solvent acceptor phase that is continuously flowed through the membrane lumen, which finally entrains the analytes to a mass spectrometer for detection. The membrane rejects charged and particulate matrix components, therefore eliminating sample cleanup that is otherwise necessary for conventional (i.e., chromatographic) techniques. However, larger analytes may suffer from relatively lengthy response times and lower sensitivity. A heptane cosolvent was therefore doped into the PDMS membrane, resulting in a polymer inclusion membrane (PIM). Through a system coupling CP-MIMS to electrospray ionization (ESI), the use of a PIM for model compounds resulted in faster response (~3×) and improved sensitivity (~3.5×, parts per trillion level detection limits). While effective for the demonstration of the PIM, pairing ESI with CP-MIMS represents an inherent incongruity: ESI is effective for polar, hydrophilic analytes, whereas CP-MIMS (i.e., PDMS membranes) is effective for hydrophobic analytes. CP-MIMS was therefore coupled with liquid electron ionization (LEI) as a more suitable ionization strategy. In LEI, the post-membrane solvent flow is entrained at nanolitre per minute flowrates to a LEI source, where the liquid is sequentially nebulized, vaporized, and ionized. The CP-MIMS-LEI coupling was optimized for the measurements of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) isomer classes from aqueous samples, demonstrating low ng/L detection limits and response times (≤1.6 min). CP-MIMS-LEI was also applied to PAH isomer classes from soil samples, demonstrating rapid sample throughput (15 samples/hr) and low μg/kg detection limits, and additionally was quantitatively comparable to conventional techniques. A similar CP-MIMS-LEI system was applied to online monitoring of catalytic oxidation and alkylation reactions, demonstrating quantitative, real-time results for harsh, complex organic reaction mixtures. A significant analytical improvement was conducted by intentionally exploiting the already present liquid acceptor phase as an in situ means of providing liquid chemical ionization (CI) reagents for improved analyte sensitivity and selectivity (i.e., CP-MIMS-LEI/CI). Acetonitrile and diethyl ether were used as a combination acceptor phase/CI reagent system (i.e., proton transfer reagents) for the direct analysis of bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate from house dust (6 mg/kg detection limit). CP-MIMS-LEI/CI was then applied to PAHs from soils. Using methanol and dichloromethane combination acceptor phase/CI reagents, CP-MIMS-LEI/CI was shown to quantify and resolve PAH isomers from direct soil analyses via diagnostic PAH adduct ions: [M+CH2Cl+CH3OH-HCl]+ or [M+CHCl2-HCl]+. Using these selective ions, CP-MIMS-LEI/CI was again shown to be rapid (15 soils/hr), sensitive (ng/g detection limits) and quantitatively comparable to gas chromatography-MS for PAH measurements (average percent difference of -9% across 9 PAHs in 8 soil samples). The results across this thesis present a compelling argument for direct, quantitative screening from complex samples using CP-MIMS-LEI/CI, particularly given the simple workflow and short analytical duty cycle. / Graduate

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird das Konzept einer druckbasierten Analyse von Fest-Gas-Gleichgewichten hinsichtlich theoretischer wie experimenteller Zusammenhänge untersucht. Hierfür erfolgt eine gezielte Nutzung der Beziehungen von theoretischen und experimentell zugänglichen physikalischen Parametern, um so die Grundlage für eine spätere Anwendung im Kontext der Syntheseplanung zu ermöglichen. Im Speziellen handelt es sich im vorgestellten Konzept um die aus festkörperanalytischer Sicht häufig vernachlässigte Beziehung zwischen dem Dampfdruck von Festkörpern und dem chemischen Potenzial. Neben der theoretischen Erarbeitung des Analysekonzeptes befasst sich die vorgestellte Arbeit zusätzlich mit dessen experimenteller Umsetzung anhand der Entwicklung bzw. Optimierung der Analyseverfahren der Hochtemperatur-Gasphasenwaage sowie des automatisierten Membrannullmanometers. Abgeschlossen wird die Arbeit zudem durch die anschauliche Vorstellung der praktischen Anwendung des Konzeptes hinsichtlich unterschiedlicher Fragestellungen (Theorie vs. Experiment: Quecksilber/Phosphor/Iod, Analyse der Phasenbildung: Arsen/Phosphor, rationale Syntheseplanung: IrPTe, Syntheseoptimierung: Bi13P3I7, Kinetik: FeAs).

The aim of the presented work was to deposit cubic boron nitride thin films by magnetron sputtering under simultaneous stress relaxation by ion implantation. An in situ instrument based on laser deflectometry on cantilever structures and in situ ellipsometry, was used for in situ stress measurements. The characteristic evolution of the instantaneous stress during the layered growth of cBN films observed in IBAD experiments, could be reproduced for magnetron sputter deposition. To achieve simultaneous stress relaxation by ion implantation, a complex bipolar pulsed substrate bias source was constructed. This power supply enables the growth of cBN thin films under low energy ion irradiation (up to 200 eV) and, for the first time, the simultaneous implantation of ions with an energy of up to 8 keV during high voltage pulses. It was demonstrated that the instantaneous stress in cBN thin films can be released down to -1.1 GPa by simultaneous ion bombardment during the high voltage pulses. A simultaneous stress relaxation during growth is possible in the total investigated ion energy range between 2.5 and 8 keV. These are the lowest ion energies reported for the stress relaxation in cBN. Since such a substrate bias power supply is easy to integrate in existing process lines, this result is important for industrial deposition of thin films, not only for cubic boron nitride films. It was found that the amount of stress relaxation depends on the number of atomic displacements (displacements per atom: dpa) that are induced by the high energy ion bombardment and is therefore dependent on the ion energy and the high energy ion flux. In practise, this means that the stress relaxation is controlled by the product of the pulse voltage and the pulse duty cycle or frequency. The cantilever bending measurements were complemented on microscopic scale by x-ray diffraction (XRD). The analysis of the cBN (111) lattice distances revealed a pronounced biaxial compressive state of stress in a non-relaxed cBN film with d(111) being larger in out-of-plane than in in-plane direction. Post deposition annealing at 900 ° C of a sample with an ion induced damage of 1.2 dpa, resulted in a complete relaxation of the lattice with equal in-plane and out-of-plane lattice parameters. In the case of medium-energy ion bombardment, the in-plane and out-of-plane lattice parameters approach the value of the annealed sample with increasing ion damage. This is a clear evidence for stress relaxation within the cBN lattice. The stability of cBN under ion bombardment was investigated by IR spectroscopy and XRD. The crystalline cBN was found to be very stable against ion irradiation. However a short-range ordered, sp3/sp2 - mixed phase may exist in the films, which could be preferably converted to a sp2 -phase at high damage values. From the analysis of the near surface region by XANES, it can be concluded the stress relaxation by the energetic ion bombardment is less at the surface than in the bulk film. This is explained with the dynamic profile of the ion induced damage, that reaches the stationary bulk value in 15-20 nm depth, whereas it is decreasing towards the surface. This fits with the results that the stress relaxation is dependent on the amount of ion induced damage. Comparing the results from substrate curvature measurement, XRD, XANES, and IR spectroscopy possible mechanisms of stress relaxation are discussed. Concluding the results, it can be stated that using simultaneous ion implantation for stress relaxation during the deposition it is possible to produce BN films with a high amount of the cubic phase and with very low residual stress.