Copper doped zinc telluride (ZnTe:Cu) thin films have been synthesized by an electrodeposition technique from acidic aqueous bath containing ZnSO4, TeO2 and CuSO4. The reaction mechanism has been studied by cyclic voltammetry to identify the deposition potential of ZnTe and ZnTe:Cu. X-ray diffraction as well as SEM techniques have been employed to investigate the structure and surface morphology of as-deposited and doped films. Optical properties, such as transmission, refractive index and band gap have been analyzed. The drastic change in resistivity has been observed due to incorporation of Cu dopent and the results are discussed in detail. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.