Hot wire (HW) cell method was applied to Si epitaxy and high-quality epitaxial Si films were obtained at a pressure of approximately 0.05 Torr. The growth rate increased linearly with increasing SiH4 flow rate. It was found that Si epitaxy was possible for substrate temperatures ranging from 200 to 400 degrees C. However, there was a critical thickness for epitaxy below 600 degrees C. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.