Compensating defects were studied in high purity Al-doped CdTe single crystals using its photoluminescence at 4.2 K and its temperature dependence. The acceptor complex defect (V-Cd-Al-Cd) is found to give bound exciton emission at 1.5848 eV. and its related DAP emission at 1.453 eV. Furthermore, the bound exciton emission and DAP emission associated with the another complex defect (V-Cd-2Al(Cd)) is found at 1.5906 and 1.553 eV. respectively. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.