Photoluminescence studies from 5 to 296 K have been performed on a series of iodine‐doped CdTe epilayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The samples exhibit excess electron concentrations in the range from 8×1016to 3×1018cm−3. Bright edge emission is observed at 296 K from all samples. A deep‐level band centered near 1.45 eV is observed atT<210 K and increases in intensity with doping level. A correlation of growth parameters with photoluminescence data fits a model of the deep‐level band being predominantly donor‐acceptor pair recombination involving the shallow iodine donor (ITe) and the iodineA‐center acceptor complex (VCd‐ITe). Zero‐phonon emission related to this pair recombination occurs at 1.470 eV at 5 K. Thermal quenching of the integrated intensity of this donor‐acceptor band is described by activation energies of 15 and 125 meV corresponding to thermalization of electrons from shallowITedonors to the conduction band and complete thermalization from the valence band to iodineAcenters, respectively. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.