This study elucidates how post-deposition annealing in air of CdS thin films deposited via chemical bath deposition, influences the defects and impurities in the films, which in turn affect the electrical conductivity and optical transparency of the films. The electrical properties of the annealed CdS films were characterized using a van der Pauw Hall effect measurement method. Using low-temperature photoluminescence measurements, a variety of sub-bandgap energy levels were observed and identified that are believed to play a critical role in impacting the concentration of carriers in the films. In addition, we studied the optical transmission and crystalline quality of the films as a function of the different annealing conditions. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.