Using a large area intemal-type inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source called "multiple U-type ICP source" having the size of 1020 X 830 mm(2), the electrical properties of the antennas and the dissociation characteristics were investigated as a function of rf power using pure SiH4 and their influence on the deposited silicon films was studied. With increasing rf power, the plasma mode has changed from capacitively coupled plasma (E mode) to inductively coupled plasma (H mode), and the change of plasma mode increased the ratios of H* /SiH* and Si*/SiH* by changing the Fulcher electron energy distribution function. In addition, the increase in H* /SiH* changed the Fulcher microstructure of a silicon thin film deposited on glass substrates from amorphous to microcrystalline. At the high rf power regime of 4000 W, a silicon films having the crystalline volume fraction of 53% with optical band gap (Tauc') of about 2.1 eV and dark conductivity of 2.4 X 10(-5) Omega(-1) cm(-1) could be obtained at 20 mTorr of SiH4 [70 SCCM (SCCM denotes cubic centimeter per minute at STP)]. (C) 2008 American Vacuum Society.