Nanoindentation has revealed significant scatter of the microscale hardness and elastic modulus of an amorphous SiCN ceramic, because of structural inhomogeneities (nanopores and clusters of free carbon within the material). As a consequence of the common feature, an amorphous nature, SiCN, in regard to its mechanical properties, resembles SiO 2 glass more than SiC or Si 3 N 4 . However, because of the stronger SiOC and SiON covalent bonding, SiCN is harder and stiffer than SiO 2 . The mean hardness-13 ؎ 2 GPa, measured at a load of 250 mN for SiCN-is approximately half that of polycrystalline Si 3 N 4 (24.9 ؎ 0.6 GPa) but higher than that of SiO 2 glass (8.9 ؎ 0.04 GPa). The elastic modulus of the SiCN, measured at a load of 250 mN, is 121 ؎ 10 GPa.