This article reports the synthesis of low-cost, repeatable, and low-processing-temperature Cd-doped copper oxide (CuO)/zinc oxide (ZnO) binary nanocomposite thin films. Binary CuO– ZnO thin film samples were fabricated using the solution-based SILAR method. We primarily report the examination of a Cd-doping-induced improvement in the optical and electrical performances of CuO–ZnO binary samples at room temperature by tailoring the surface morphology and crystalline structure. The experimental results confirmed the formation of pure nanostructured composites. The estimated Eg is approximately 2.26 eV, which increases with increasing Cd content in the growth bath. The transmittance spectra exhibit an increase in the transmittance from 58 % to 72 % as the Cd content increases, while the contact resistivity varies from ∼2.97 to ∼22.17 MΩ□. The wider optical bandgap energy is exclusively significant for allowing the designed materials to operate at much higher temperature conditions. The obtained outcome could be used to enhance the impression of photovoltaic devices.