Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films were prepared by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) with H contents as low as 3 at.%, with the H predominantly in the Si-H bonding configuration. Initial dangling bond (DB) densities of less than 5 x 10(15) cm(-3) and saturated DB densities of less than 4 x 10(16) cm(-3) after light-soaking were obtained in films grown C 41 at a high deposition rate of 10 Angstrom s(-1). The DB densities are comparable to or slightly lower than those for plasma-enhanced CVD a-Si:H films with deposition rates of only a few Angstrom s(-1). These facts show the feasibility of Cat-CVD a-Si:H films for application as solar-cell materials.