Intrinsic microcrystalline silicon has been deposited by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique at frequency of 75 MHz. Different gas mixtures of silane and hydrogen were utilized, and the evolution of microstructure and phase in film were studied, while keeping the substrate temperature at 200 degrees C and the chamber pressure at 0.5 Torr. Optirnised material was inserted in p-i-n solar cells: preliminary efficiency of 5.5% was reached for 1 mu m-thick solar cells with the V-oc around 0.6 V. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.