We report the reduction in residual stress, the crystal structure, surface morphology and nano-mechanical properties of magnetron sputtered AIN thin films as a function of substrate temperature (T-s, 35-600 degrees C). The residual stress of these films are varying from tensile to compression with temperature (Ts), calculated by sine* technique. Evolution of crystalline growth of AIN films have been studied by GIXRD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and at 400 degrees C a preferred a-axis orientation is observed. The cross-sectional TEM micrograph and the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) of these film exhibit a high degree of orientation as well as a columnar structure. Hardness (H) has been measured by nanoindentation technique on these films ranged between 12.8 and 19 GPa. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.