By studying the diffusion of specially incorporated thin Mn markers in molecular beam epitaxy-grown CdTe, we can investigate quantitatively deviations from stoichiometry as well as the details of Cd diffusion in the crystal. In CdTe layers deficient in Cd, the diffusion proceeds throughVCdvacancies, with the activation energy of 2.1 eV, characteristic for bulk CdTe. In CdTe grown in excess Cd flux, the evaluated activation energy of 1.4 eV for Cd self-diffusion is characteristic to Te self-diffusion in bulk CdTe, which implies that the flow of Cd atoms is mediated byVTevacancies with formation of a virtualCdTeantisite defect. A striking correlation of the occurrence of the minimum of electrical resistivity in In-doped CdTe with nearly perfect stoichiometry with the minimum of the diffusivity of Mn provides further support of this interpretation. ©1998 American Institute of Physics.