TiC, TiN and TiCN thin films deposited on silicon (1 0 0) substrates using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) was investigated by scanning probe microscopy (SPM) and nanoindentation techniques. Results showed that the TiC film exhibits lower surface roughness and friction coefficient than the TiN and the TiCN films. Young's modulus and hardness both decreased as the indentation depth increased for all the films and the TiC film exhibited a higher hardness and Young's modulus. Additionally. the contact stress-strain relationships and fractal dimension were also analyzed. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.