Oxygenated CdTe films prepared by r.f. sputtering have been shown to have band gap energies between 1.48 and 3.35 eV, depending on the amount of oxygen incorporated in the CdTe matrix. Samples with oxygen concentrations above 7 at.% are amorphous, whereas those with oxygen concentrations below 7 at.% are polycrystalline, as determined by x-ray and Raman measurements. The Raman spectra of the polycrystalline samples show that there is ca. 4 at.% Te in the form of inclusions under high pressure, which is relatively easy to detect owing to the enhanced Raman cross-section of Te. The Raman spectra of the amorphous samples is dominated by a single broad band at 159 cm-'. The fact that tellurates in general show a similar band, in spite of their different vibrational density of states, indicates that it corresponds to Te-Te bonds in the amorphous matrix.