High quality Cd1-xFexSe thin films with different Fe content were grown on sapphire substrates by using low-pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD). The structural properties of these films were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Temperature dependent spectra were also used to study the origin of the emission peak. Strong near band emission (NBE) without other defect related emission at room temperature demonstrates that the thin films have high optical quality. Absorption spectra were used to estimate the band gap of the Cd1-xFexSe films. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.