The well-crystalline hydroxyapatite($Ca_{10}(PO_4)_6(OH)_2$ ; HAp) layer having a biocompatibility was successfully coated onto titanium substrate using a radio-frequency magnetron sputtering, and effects of sputtering gas and the thickness of HAp film on a crystal growth of the HAp layers were investigated. The deposition rate of the layer sputtered with water-vapour gas was slower than that of the layer sputtered with argon gas. The results of X-ray diffraction demonstrated that the about $0.8mu extrm{m}$ thick HAp film under water-vapour gas was an amorphous phase, the about $1.2mu extrm{m}$ thick film was (100) plane-oriented HAp, and the about $1.5mu extrm{m}$ thick film was (001)plane-oriented HAp. FT-IR analysis proved that hydroxyl group of the layer sputtered with argon gas was defected, but that of the layer sputtered with water-vapour gas was not defected. From these results, it was favorable to use water-vapour gas on the HAp coatings onto metal surface.