We investigate low-temperature epitaxial growth of thin silicon films by HWCVD on Si [1 0 0] substrates and polycrystalline template layers formed by selective nucleation and solid phase epitaxy (SNSPE). We have grown 300-nm thick epitaxial layers at 300 degreesC on silicon [1 0 0] substrates using a high H-2:SiH2 ratio of 70: 1. Transmission electron microscopy confirms that the films are epitaxial with a periodic array of stacking faults and are highly twinned after approximately 240 nm of growth. Evidence is also presented for epitaxial growth on polycrystalline SNSPE templates under the same growth conditions. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.