A novel CdS/CdSe composite window structure was designed and then the corresponding films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition as an improved window layer for CdTe-based solar cells. Two types of this composite window structure with 5 cycles and 10 cycles CdS/CdSe respectively both combined with CdS layers were prepared at 200 degrees C compared with pure CdS window layer and finally were applied into CdTe thin film solar cells. The cross section and surface morphology of the two composite window layers were monitored by using scanning electron microscopy and the result shows that the pulsed laser deposited composite window layers with good crystallinity are stacking together as the design. The devices based on CdS/CdSe composite window layers have demonstrated the enhanced photocurrent collection from both short and long wavelength regions compared to CdS/CdTe solar cell. The efficiency of the best reference CdS/CdTe solar cell was 10.72%. And the device with 5 cycles CdS/CdSe composite window showed efficiency of 12.61% with Voc of 772.92 mV, Jsc of 25.11 mA/cm(2) and FF of 64.95%. In addition, there are some differences which exist within the optical transmittance spectra and QE curves between the two CdS/CdSe composite window samples, indicating that the volume proportion of CdSe may influence the performance of CdTe thin film solar cell. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.