Elastic constants of titanium carbide films using surface Brillouin scattering

•Excitations are observed in surface Brillouin scattering of titanium carbide films.•Rayleigh surface acoustic waves, Sezawa waves and pseudo-Sezawa waves are observed.•Excitation depends on transverse wave velocity and densities of film and substrate.•Different film substrate combination leads to either stiffening or loading system.•Elastic moduli of the titanium carbide films are determined from observed modes.