AbstractIn order to obtain the apatite implants which can meet the requirements for both bonding strength and bioactivity, the FHA(Ca10(PO4)6OH2−xFx(x = 0 ~ 2)) gradient coating was prepared by electrophoretic deposition on the surface of titanium alloy (Ti–6Al–4V). The effects of fluorine substitution and gradient structure on the morphology, bonding strength, and bioactivity of the coating were investigated. The gradient coating has the dense inner layer and porous outer layer that were deposited by controlling the suspension concentration and the preparation process. Through controlling of the fluorine substitution gradient, the thermal expansion coefficient gradually changed to improve the bonding strength more than 30 Mpa. The inner layer with high fluorine content can improve the thermal stability of the coating and bonding strength between the coating and the substrate, while the proper content of fluorine in the outer layer improves the bioactivity of the gradient coating.