Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon films obtained at low temperature (150–280°C) by hot wire chemical vapour deposition at two different process pressures were measured by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy and photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS). A crystalline fraction >90% with a subgap optical absortion 10 cm-1 at 0.8 eV were obtained in films deposited at growth rates >0.8 nm/s. These films were incorporated in n-channel thin film transistors and their electrical properties were measured. The saturation mobility was 0.72 ± 0.05 cm2/V s and the threshold voltage around 0.2 eV. The dependence of their conductance activation energies on gate voltages were related to the properties of the material.

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