We have grown epitaxial ZnSe films on (001)GaAs substrates at 300 °C by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Before the growth, thin buffer layers of GaAs are also grown by PLD at 300 °C. While the pattern of reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) of the buffer layers is spotty, the pattern of the ZnSe films subsequently grown is streaky, and shows distinct Kikuchi lines and bands. The x‐ray rocking curve width of the films is as narrow as 150 arcsec. Photoluminescence (PL) at 10 K of the films shows free and bound excitons, donor‐acceptor pairs (DAP), and is free of any deep level emissions, indicating good crystalline quality of the films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that the particulate number density of the films is only about 1 particulate per 400 &mgr;m2. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.