The pulsed laser deposition technique was applied to deposit nitrogen-doped yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films. The working parameters were varied in order to achieve a maximal nitrogen content. The films were characterized by SIMS, XPS, X-ray diffraction and optical spectroscopy. The surface topography was studied by AFM and HRSEM. The influence of the deposition parameters on the film properties is discussed.