We report the growth and characterization of crystalline, single‐phase zinc blende MnS (i.e., &bgr;‐MnS). The material was grown on ZnSe buffer layers on (100) GaAs substrates, using solid‐source molecular beam epitaxy and a novel valved S cracker with deposition at low (∼110 °C) substrate temperatures. Characterization by reflection high energy electron diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, and low temperature photoluminescence confirms the pseudomorphic nature of the growth. Beyond a certain critical thickness, the layers either become amorphous or convert into the equilibrium rock salt polymorph (&agr;‐MnS), depending on the growth temperature. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.