Objective To investigate the influence of different target-substrate distance on the microstructure and thickness uniformity of vanadium films on the groove surface by high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS), and prepare vanadium films with high film density and uniformity on the surface of the groove. Methods The vanadium films were prepared by HIPIMS method. The influence of different target-substrate distance on the surface structure, surface morphology, surface roughness and uniformity of the film thickness was discussed with other technological parameters not changed. Surface morphology and growth characteristics of vanadium films were observed by XRD, AFM and SEM. Results With the target-substrate distance increasing, the peak intensities of V (111) decreased gradually. The minimum roughness was 0.434 nm which deposited at a target-substrate distance of 12 cm. The HIPIMS vanadium films clearly exhibited a denser structure and the columnar crystal boundary was not as clear as DCMS films. The deposition rate at different positions of concave object obviously decreased with the increase of target-substrate distance in HIPIMS and DCMS process. For HIPIMS, the best thickness uniformity was achieved at a target-substrate distance of 8 cm. Conclusion The target-substrate distance has an obvious influence on the preferred orientation, surface morphology, deposition rate and thickness uniformity of vanadium films on the groove surface by HIPIMS. At the same target-substrate distance, the HIPIMS thickness uniformity is better than that of DCMS.