Sprayed undoped and X-doped ZnS (with 4 at.% of X=Al, Sn) thin films prepared from chloride precursors are investigated. Their optimal deposition substrate temperature (T-S=773 K) leads to polycrystalline samples of both hexagonal (alpha) and cubic (beta) phases with the predominance of the last one. The cathodoluminescence (CL) characteristics of ZnS and Al ZnS films are similar, Their spectra depict a violet emission of 407 nm and a broad blue-green one at 524 nm due to chlorine impurities. Insertion of Sn2+ ions in ZnS material engenders SnCl2 and disappearance of the blue-green emission, (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.