The cubic crystalline phase of carbon (diamond) and the analogous structure of boron nitride (cbn, borazon) are the hardest known solids. To make use of this harness for increased wear resistance, coatings of "diamondlike" carbon have been widely studied. Artech has developed a technique for applying superhard boron nitride coatings using simultaneous beams of boron and nitrogen atoms, and proposed to explore its application to ball bearings.
