ZnSe nanoparticle doped SiO2 films have been grown on various substrates at different deposition temperatures, radio-frequency power, Argon pressures and substrate to target distances, by means of reactive magnetron sputtering. A detailed study of the correlations between plasma species and thin film composition, structure and morphology is investigated using X-ray reflectivity and diffraction, Raman and optical emission spectroscopies and Rutherford backscattering technique. It is evidenced that the most sensitive species in the plasma is the Selenium and that the optimal deposition parameters correspond to random stress-free films with a high content of quasi-stoechiometric ZnSe cubic nanocrystallites. A few amount of ZnSe in the hexagonal structure is also evidenced in these films. Using proper deposition parameters, the SiO2/ZnSe proportion in the films and the mean ZnSe particles size around 3 nm are easily monitored. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.