In the present work, we report on the formation of CdS films formed by anodization of a Cd-substrate in an aqueous electrolyte containing Na2S and NaCl. The presence of NaCl in the electrolyte strongly affects the morphology of the CdS film. Under optimized concentrations of NaCl, self-organized arrangements of CdS microstructures are formed. These structures are characterized by SEM. XRD and XPS. After heat treatment at 150 degrees C, the self-organized CdS structures show enhanced photocurrent response compared with a non-structured CdS film. Therefore, the self-ordered microstructures of CdS reported in this work bear potential for improved photo-electrochemical applications of CdS. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.