Using low cost spray pyrolysis technique, polycrystalline CaSO4 thin films were successfully grown on a glass substrate with a thickness of about 1 gm. Samarium doping has been performed on CaSO4 thin films to explore luminescence properties. The characterizations of these films were carried out using X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy and optical measurements. The structural analyses reveal the existence of hexagonal CaSO4 phase with a (200) preferred orientation belonging to CaS compound for substrate temperatures below 350 degrees C. It is shown that the crystallinity of the sprayed thin films can be improved by increasing substrate temperature up to 250 degrees C. Warren-Averbach analysis has been applied on X-ray diffractogram to determine structural parameters involving the phase with its amount, the grain size and the lattice parameters using Maud software. The surface topography shows a rough surface covered by densely packed agglomerated clusters having faceted and hexagonal shapes. Energy dispersive microscopy measurements confirm the presence of calcium and sulfur in equal proportions as well as high percentage of oxygen. Photoluminescence at room temperature revealed that luminescence peaks are attributed to the intrinsic emission of pure CaSO4 phase. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.