Nanostructured CdS films are deposited by the high pressure magnetron sputtering technique onto glass and NaCl substrates at various substrate temperatures and at a fixed gas pressure. Electrical conductivity of these nano CdS films in dark and when illuminated is measured. It is observed that the conduction mechanism is dominated by the combined effects of thermionic emission, tunneling, and variable range hopping. Copyright © 1995 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA