Ti -B-N films have been deposited by a reactive ion plating process activated by an arc-discharged plasma above electron beam evaporator and a hot-cathode plasma discharged in a magnetic field near substrates. The structure and crystallinity of the Ti -B -N films were strongly influenced by the activation process and the chemical composition of the films. Deposition using both the arc plasma and the hot-cathode plasma was very effective in obtaining crystalline cubic Ti - B -N. With increasing quantity of boron relative to TiN, the amorphous phase became dominant in the X-ray pattern. The Ti - B -N films showed a lower friction coefficient and were more corrosion-resistant against liquid aluminum than TiN films.