HgCdTe thin films have been deposited on Si (1 1 1) substrates at different pressures by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The HgCdTe thin films obtained at different pressures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The results show that in our experimental conditions, the thickness, crystallinity, chemical content and surface morphology of the HgCdTe thin films have a strong relation to the change of pressure. The film obtained at 5 x 10(-2) Pa has the highest crystal quality with the lowest Hg content. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All fights reserved.