We have studied structural and optical properties of self-assembled Cd0.6Zn0.4Te/ZnTe quantum dots (QDs) grown on Si(100) substrates by using molecular beam epitaxy. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that the ZnTe buffer layers grown on the Si substrates were hetero-epitaxial films with the (100) orientation. The atomic force microscopy images showed that Cd0.6Zn0.4Te/ZnTe QDs were formed on Si(100) substrates. The photoluminescence spectra at 32 K showed the dominant excitonic peaks corresponding to the interband from the ground-state electronic sub-band to the ground-state heavy-hole band in the Cd0.6Zn0.4Te/ZnTe QDs. The present results can help to improve the understanding of the structural and interband transition properties in Cd0.6Zn0.4Te/ZnTe QDs grown on Si(100) substrates. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.