Raman spectroscopy has been used as a local probe to characterize the structural evolution of magnetron-sputtered decorative zirconium oxynitride ZrOxNy films which result from an increase of reactive gas flow in the deposition. The lines shapes, the frequency position and widths of the Raman bands show a systematic change as a function of the reactive gas flow (a mixture of both oxygen and nitrogen). The as-deposited zirconium nitride film presents a Raman spectrum with the typical broadened bands, due to the disorder induced by N vacancies. The recorded Raman spectrum of the zirconium oxide film is typical of the monoclinic phase of ZrO2, which is revealed also by X-ray diffraction. Raman spectra of zirconium oxynitride thin films present changes, which are found to be closely related with the oxygen content in films and the subsequent structural changes. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.