Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films were prepared by diode radio-frequency sputtering from polycrystalline CdTe targets in an atmosphere of argon, nitrogen and oxygen. The layers prepared in the presence of nitrogen gas were amorphous and their oxygen contents increased with the partial pressure of nitrogen. The evolution of the composition of the layers as a function of the nitrogen partial pressure during deposition was followed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is found that the oxygen is bound to both tellurium and cadmium atoms. The surface of the CdTe thin films was also studied as a function of their exposure time to a plasma containing a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen. It is found that the oxygen contents of the surface increases with increased exposure time. Also, this exposure resulted in an increase of the oxide thickness and a net decrease in the surface roughness of the films.