TiN films were deposited both by electron beam (EB) sustained Ti are ion plating and by reactive magnetron sputtering in nitrogen atmosphere. Although the optical emission measurement revealed totally different features of the excited species in the two discharges, stoichiometric TiN films were obtained by both techniques. Different mechanisms of film formation in the two methods were proposed. The crystal structures of the deposited films were correlated with the experimental conditions. XPS analysis indicated that the difference of electrical resistivity in the samples prepared by the two techniques was the result of the difference in the bonding states of Ti in the films.