In this paper we present a method to measure oxygen tracer diffusion coefficients in thin ion conducting films without being limited by slow oxygen incorporation kinetics. The method is based on a two step process. In the first step a substantial amount of O-18 tracer is locally incorporated for example into an yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) layer at low temperatures with the aid of an electric current, thus overcoming slow thermal oxygen exchange while still limiting lateral diffusion to a minimum. In the second step controlled diffusion takes place at elevated temperatures in ultra high vacuum (UHV) to impede loss of tracer due to oxygen exchange at the film surface. In this second step the surface of the thin film may additionally be modified compared to the oxygen incorporation step. This allows to easily investigate effects of interfaces on ion transport. The achieved in-plane concentration profiles are then measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Comparison with electrical measurements on YSZ thin films proves the applicability of the method. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.