Si homo-epitaxial growth by low-temperature reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) using trisilane (Si3H8) has been investigated. The CVD growth of Si films from trisilane and silane on Si substrates are compared at temperatures between 500 and 950 degrees C. It is demonstrated that trisilane efficiency increases versus silane's one as the surface temperature decreases. Si epilayers from trisilane, with low surface roughness, are achieved at 600 and 550 degrees C with a growth rate equal to 12.4 and 4.3 nm min(-1), respectively. It is also shown that Si1-xGex layers can be deposited using trisilane chemistry. The epitaxy of Si1-yCy films as stressors source and drain is a promising way to improve the performances of n-type MOS devices. To take advantage of the tensile-strained Si1-yCy films, the level of carbon into substitutional sites must be significant(>= 1%). Such levels of substitution require low growth temperatures (<650 degrees C and high growth rates. Using trisilane and methylsilane gases, the highest substitutional carbon concentrations incorporated are 1.9% at 600 degrees C and 2.3% at 550 degrees C with growth rates equal to 20 and 7 nm min(-1), respectively. Stress values of about few gigapascals have been measured on blanket Si1-yCy films. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.