La0.8Sr0.2Mn0.5Co0.5O3 (LSMCO) films for the use as contact layers or protective coatings in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) have been deposited on glass substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). PLD is an obvious technique for thin film production of complex oxides, because of the ability to transfer material stoichiometrically from a multicomponent target to a growing film. In the present study, films were deposited at substrate temperatures of 473 and 573 K and in different oxygen background pressures. The influence of the process parameters, in particular of the oxygen background gas pressure, on the electrical conductivity and structure of the films is investigated. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.