Cubic boron nitride (c-BN), if properly developed, can be a very promising material for electronic applications, such as ultraviolet (UV) detectors and UV light emitting diodes operable at wavelengths in the deep UV regime. Its energy bandgap is favorable also for field-effect transistors for high-power microwave applications. Yet, electrical characteristics of c-BN have hardly been reviewed during the past years putting together its important features. The present article attempts to describe the latest developments in electrical properties of c-BN taking into account metal-semiconductor contacts, interface states, lattice relaxation and impurity states, NEA, and other related topics. In conclusion, current status and the future prospects for c-BN films have been discussed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.