CdxPb1-xS (0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 1) thin films were prepared on glass substrates using the chemical bath deposition method. The structural, electrical, and photoelectrical properties of the films were investigated, and all were dependent on the x value. For x > 0.5 (high Cd content), the films show a poor crystallinity and weak photoconductivity. For x < 0.5 (high Pb content), the films exhibit a good crystallinity, with an average size of the crystallites of 100 nm, and good photoconductivity. The threshold voltage of photoconductivity is shifted to lower wavelengths with increasing Cd content. The experimental results point toward possible ternary deposition on some composition ranges (near pure PbS or CdS); whereas, for the rest, the deposited film is rather a mixture of phases [not CdxPb1-xS but (CdS)(x)(PbS)(1-x)]. (C) 2004 The Electrochemical Society.