Cadmium sulphide thin films were deposited by the chemical bath deposition method using tartaric acid as a complexing agent and annealed at different temperature in nitrogen atmosphere and characterized. The crystallographic structure and the crystallite size were studied by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. Transmittance of the deposited film is significantly higher in the visible region. The optical band-gap of deposited film is 2.4 eV and it decreases with increase in annealing temperature. Temperature dependence of resistivity confirmed the semiconducting behaviour of the film. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) showed the presence of grain particles of size < 1 mu m. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies supported the composition of cadmium sulphide thin film determined by EMPA and also indicated the presence of carbon and oxygen as impurity in the film. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.