Tantalum boron nitride (Ta-B-N) films are deposited on silicon substrates by radio frequency (rf) reactive sputtering of TaB2 in N-2/Ar gas mixtures. The deposition rate, chemical composition, and crystalline microstructure are investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), glancing angle X-ray diffraction (GAXRD), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, respectively. The results indicate that the deposition rate, film composition, and microstructure correlate well with the N-2/Ar flow ratio. In addition, the deposition mechanism and kinetic model which control the film characteristics are presented as well. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.