The diffusion in TiN/B–C–N multilayers during vacuum annealing at temperatures up to 1000 °C and/or 300 keV argon irradiation is studied. Changes in composition, stress field, bilayer repeat length, and interface quality are reported. The effect of stress on diffusion is proved by performing the same annealing or the same irradiation on a multilayer with and without compressive stress. During thermal annealing, demixing or phase separation is observed. On the contrary, during irradiation, mixing occurs. Both phenomena are enhanced in the presence of the stress field. ©1998 American Institute of Physics.