Nickel oxide-yttria stabilized zirconia (NiO-YSZ) thin films were reactively sputter-deposited by pulsed direct current magnetron sputtering from the Ni and Zr-Y targets onto heated commercial NiO-YSZ substrates. The microstructure and composition of the deposited films were investigated with regard to application as thin anode functional layers (AFLs) for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The pore size, microstructure and phase composition of both as-deposited and annealed at 1200 degrees C for 2 h AFLs were studied by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry and controlled by changing the magnetron sputtered anode functional layer, YSZ electrolyte and La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3Ce0.9Gd0.1O2 (LSCF/CGO) cathode were fabricated and tested. Influence of thin anode functional layer on performance of anode-supported SOFCs was studied. It was shown that electrochemical properties of the single fuel cells depend on the NiO volume content in the NiO-YSZ anode functional layer. Microstructural changes of NiO-YSZ layers after nickel reduction-oxidation (redox) cycling were studied. After nine redox cycles at 750 degrees C in partial oxidation conditions, the cell with the anode NiO-YSZ layer showed stable open circuit voltage values with the power density decrease by 11% only. (C) 2018 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.