Nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films were grown on (001) SiO2 substrates by reactive pulsed laser deposition. A KrF* excimer laser source (lambda = 248 nm, T-FwHM congruent to 10 ns, nu = 10 Hz) was used for the irradiations of pressed powder targets composed by both anatase and rutile phase TiO2. The experiments were performed in a controlled reactive atmosphere consisting of oxygen or mixtures of oxygen and nitrogen gases. The obtained thin film crystal structure was investigated by X-ray diffraction, while their chemical composition as well as chemical bonding states between the elements were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. An interrelation was found between nitrogen concentration, crystalline structure, bonding states between the elements, and the formation of titanium oxinitride compounds. Moreover, as a result of the nitrogen incorporation in the films a continuous red-shift of the optical absorption edge accompanied by absorption in the visible spectral range between 400 and 500 nm wavelength was observed. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.