Amorphous carbon nitride (CNx, (0.1 < x < 0.3)) thin films present a unique combination of hardness and compliance and may be useful for incorporation into ferromagnetic multilayers. We present a study of the use of amorphous CNx as a buffer layer for NiFe magnetic thin films. The surface roughness of the NiFe films is comparable to films on Ta or Cu buffer layers and is stable with annealing at 200 degrees C. Effects on the magnetization and coercivity are seen, and may be due to several mechanisms, including chemical reactions at the interface and interdiffusion. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.