The structure, physical, and mechanical properties of amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbonitride films produced by remote hydrogen/nitrogen plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) from 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisilazane have been investigated. The films deposited at elevated substrate temperature of 300degreesC and with different content of nitrogen in the hydrogen/nitrogen mixture fed to the plasma were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The observed changes in the film structure are correlated with the results of optical emission spectroscopy diagnostics of the plasma region. The films' properties are characterized in terms of the density, hardness, elastic modulus, and friction coefficient. The films' resistance to wear is predicted from the slope of hardness-elastic modulus plot. The nitrogen content in the H-2/N-2 feed gas appears to strongly influence the structure and properties of the films. Using the infrared structural data, reasonable structure-property relationships have been determined. (C) 2004 The Electrochemical Society.