We have studied the optical properties of GaAs and AlxGa1-xAs thin films using low-temperature photoluminescence and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The GaAs and its alloys were grown by MOCVD using solid arsenic instead of arsine, as the arsenic precursor. The gallium and aluminium precursors were trimethylgallium (TMGa) and trimethylaluminium (TMAl), respectively. Some difficulties for growing AlxGa1-xAs by solid-arsenic-based MOCVD system are the composition homogeneity of the layers and the oxygen and carbon incorporation during the growth process. The composition homogeneity of the films was evaluated by low-temperature photoluminescence. Infrared measurements on the samples allowed the identification of the residual impurities, which are carbon-substitutional, Ga2O3, molecular oxygen, humidity and two unidentified impurities. Samples grown at temperatures lower than 750°C were highly resistive, independently of the ratio V/III used; the samples grown at higher temperatures were n-type, as it was proved by Hall effect measurements.