The structural properties of BN films and their crystallographic relationship to the ZrB2 buffer layer were characterized by thin film X-ray diffraction (XRD). A PANalytical X'Pert PRO diffractometer was used to acquire 2 diffractograms (Bragg-Brentano HD mirror with 1/2° divergence on the primary side, X'Celerator detector with a 0.5 mm anti-scatter slit, 0.04 rad Soller slits and nickel Kα filter on the secondary side). A Phillips X'Pert MPD diffractometer, with cross-slits (2x2 mm 2 ) and nickel Kα filter on the primary side and a proportional detector (PW1711/96) equipped with a parallel plate collimator on the secondary side was used to record grazing-incidence diffractograms (GID) and φ-scans.