Method of growing p-type group II-VI material

P-type doping of a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown substrate (24) composed of a Group II-VI combination is accomplished by forming a flux from a Group II-V combination, and applying the flux to the substrate (24) at a pressure less than about 10 atmosphere. The Group II material is selected from Zn, Cd, Hg and Mg, the Group V material from As, Sb and P, and the Group VI material from S, Se and Te. The Group II-V dopant combination is preferably provided as a compound formed predominantly from the Group II material, and having the formulation X3Y2, where X is the Group II material and Y is the Group V material. The doping concentration is controlled by controlling the temperature of the Group II-V combination. Metal vacancies in the lattice structure are tied up by the Group II constituent of the dopant combination, leaving the group V dopant available to enter the Group VI sublattice and produce a p-type doping.