The preferred crystallographic orientation, or texture, of aluminum films deposited on oxidized silicon by evaporation and by partially ionized beam (PIB) deposition is studied. Texture is quantified by the x‐ray diffraction pole figure technique. The pole figures reveal important details of the crystallite distribution not quantifiable by simply taking the 2&thgr; scan. It is found that the films deposited by the PIB technique possess a very strong {111} fiber texture whose strength can be controlled by deposition conditions. Correlation between the strength of the texture and the electromigration lifetime is discussed.