A method of synthesizing cubic boron nitride (cBN) films by pulsed Nd:YAG laser deposition was investigated. BN films were deposited on heated (650 degrees C) Si(100) substrates using hexagonal BN (hBN) targets. Argon gas was mixed with the reactant nitrogen gas and an r.f. power was applied to the substrate in order to generate a negative d.c. self-bias and enhance the synthesis of the cBN phase. The deposited films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurements and Auger electron spectroscopy. FTIR absorption spectroscopy showed that argon ion bombardment with r.f. bias played an important role in the formation of cBN films. Measurements of the optical emission spectrum were performed to estimate the processing plasma state.