Using the hot wire (HW) chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method for the deposition of silicon nitride (SiNx) and amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films we have achieved high deposition rates for device quality materials tip to 7.3 nm/s and 3.5 nm/s, respectively. For thin films of SiN1.3, deposited at 3 nm/s, the mass-density of the material reached a very high value of 3.0 g/cm(3). The silane utilization rate for this fast process is 77%. The high mass-density was consistent with the low 16BHF etch rate of 7 nm/min. We tested this SiN1.3 in "all hot. wire" thin film transistors (TFTs), along with a-Si:H material in the protocrystalline regime at 1 nm/s. Analysis shows that these "all hot wire" TFTs have a V-th = 1.7 - 2.4 V, an on/off ratio of 10(6), and a mobility of 0.4 cm(2)/V s after a forming gas anneal. We therefore conclude that the HWCVD provides SiNx materials with dielectric properties at least as good as PECVD does, though at a much higher deposition rate and better gas utilization rates. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.