The nucleation and the subsequent coalescence period of the cubic phase cBN in sputter deposited BN-films is characterized by a shrinking of the film thickness. This is due to the transition of hBN into the denser cBN-phase which occurs inside a highly textured hBN base layer. The corresponding variation of the film thickness with the deposition time is described by a quantitative model. Full BN-stoichiometry in the hBN base layer is shown to be a mandatory condition for the nucleation process and the following growth of the cubic BN-phase. An increase of the substrate temperature fosters the incorporation of nitrogen into the growing film and, thus, the achievement of the stoichiometry condition. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.