The silicon films as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries were fabricated by the cost-effective, high-throughput photosintering process. The thinner Si film (1.3 mu m) exhibited larger storage capacity and better cyclability compared to the thicker one (4.2 mu m) due to the close contact of the fused silicon nanoparticles with the substrate. Moreover, the addition of silver nanoparticles improved the conductivity of silicon film and facilitated the amorphous phase formation, resulting in enhanced capacity and cyclability. The photosintering approach highlights the advantage in the flexible and practicable manufacture and shows the promising prospects for developing high-performance Si-based anode materials. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.