The present paper reports the fabrication and detailed electrical characterization of p-ZnTe/n-CdTe heterojunction diodes prepared by vacuum deposition method. The possible conduction mechanisms of the heterojunction diode were determined by analyzing the I-V characteristics. The C-V characteristics of the heterojunction diodes were studied to determine the barrier height, carrier concentration and thickness of the depletion region in the heterojunction. A theoretical band diagram of the heterojunction was drawn based on Anderson's model. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.