The investigation of the residual stress in titanium carbide/nitride (TiCN) films with the X-ray diffraction method is our purpose. However, it is hard to measure the stress by the commonly used X-ray stress measurement, because the sin square psi method demands macroscopic isotropy from the specimen, while (111) texture is observed for our evaporated TiCN film by PVD. Therefore, the X-ray stress measurement for (111) oriented films was analyzed using calculated values for fiber texture. Moreover, a relation between residual stress and coating thickness of TiCN layer was discussed. As a result, it is summarized that (1) TiCN thin films are in compression in the range - 4.6 to -5.9 GPa. The compressive stress increases with the bias voltage of deposition; (2) The X-ray diffraction profile of the TiCN film was obtained. In all specimens the 111 and 222 reflections are very strong. These TiCN thin films exhibit (111) fiber texture.