Titanium oxynitride films are prepared by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition method using two different precursors and nitrogen sources. Synchrotron radiation-based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy are used to characterize the nitrogen species incorporated within these films depending on the deposition parameters. It is found that nitrogen atoms in these films are differently bonded. In particular, it can be distinguished between Ti-ON and Ti-N bonding configurations and molecular nitrogen species caused by precursor fragments. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.