A simple and cheap method has been developed for the deposition of lead telluride thin films on glass substrates by pulsed Nd:YAG laser evaporation of lead telluride pellets made of high purity Pb and Te powders. Preliminary characterization of the crystallographic and optical properties of the films has been performed as a function of the substrate temperature. The influence of deposition conditions on the sheet resistance of these thin films has been studied. Both deposition temperature, nitrogen pressure during deposition, and addition of Ga and As impurities in the source pellets have been considered. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.