Abstract: A series of AlN coatings have been elaborated on silicon substrate using dc magnetron sputtering method, by varying the nitrogen flow in the discharge. We have noticed that the coating deposition rate decreases with the nitrogen flow which is conducive to a transition from metallic aluminum coating to (100) and (002) preferentially oriented Aluminum Nitride (AlN). A shorter target-substrate distance gives rise to the (002) orientation, as revealed by the DRX and the SEM characterization.