This letter reports the growth and characterization of ZnSe:N layers by atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) using a nitrogen rf‐plasma source. The ALE‐grown ZnSe:N layers have been investigated in terms ofinsitureflection high electron energy diffraction andexsitucapacitance–voltage profiling and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The net acceptor concentration in the ALE‐grown layer has been obtained as high as 1.2×1018cm−3and the ALE layers of ZnSe:N show reduced number of compensating deep centers compared with the ZnSe:N grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The effects of the Fermi level at a growing surface on the generation of compensating donors with a binding energy of 57 meV are also discussed. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.