The structural defects in molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) grown HgCdTe(112)Te, (001)-0° and -5° layers are examined with chemical etching, x-ray diffraction, Nomarski microscopy, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. Photoassisted MBE grown HgCdTe(001)-0° films exhibit a low dislocation density (1–2×105 cm−2) over a wider range of growth conditions than comparable HgCdTe(001)-0° layers grown by conventional MBE. HgCdTe(112)Te epilayers grown by conventional MBE reproducibly show very low dislocation (3–5×104 cm−2) and twin fault (2×103 cm−2) densities; in addition, the twin faults along this growth direction do not lead to highly defective surface hillocks under appropriate growth conditions. Finally, HgCdTe(001)-5° films do not show the growth front roughness or x-value variation generally present in HgCdTe(001)-0° layers.