Quantitative measurements of the (00 · 2) pole density distribution (PDD) of hexagonal CoCrTa alloy thin films on different kinds of substrates under different sputtering conditions have been performed using the X-ray diffraction method. The sputtering conditions, e.g. the ultimate vacuum pressure, and the kind of substrate, influence the preferred orientation (PO) of the Cr underlayer and the (00 · 2) PDD of CoCrTa. It is also proposed that to form films with a high coercive force, the suppression of the normal component of (00 · 2) PDD is important.