Aluminium Nitride (AlN) films deposited by reactive r.f. magnetron sputtering, of a pure aluminium target in an argon (Ar) / nitrogen (N2) mixture atmosphere, onto Si (100) and Si (111) substrates are studied. A series of samples was obtained varying the Ar and N2 gaseous mixture maintaining the process pressure fixed. The AlN films were characterized by FTIR, X‐ray diffraction, visible optical absorption, ellipsometry and stress measurements. X‐ray results showed a preferential orientation in the planes (100) and (002). Films obtained in an Ar rich atmosphere presented only one vibration mode corresponding to a composition of the AlN A1 (TO) and E1 (LO) modes. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)