In this work, silicon coatings were deposited using VPS and APS technologies. Their structure and composition were characterized using XPS, SEM, and XRD. The porosity and surface-roughness of coatings were evaluated. The results showed that the VPS silicon coating possessed lower porosity compared with the APS silicon coating. The APS silicon coating surface was almost all covered by many small particles whose size is about 100 run. The Si 2p XPS spectra indicated that silicon oxide existed in both coatings. The oxidation may have occurred during the plasma spray process. However, the VPS process could inhibit silicon from being oxidated.