Hot-wire chemical vapor deposition and characterization of p-type nanocrystalline Si films for thin film photovoltaic applications

► p-nc-Si films prepared by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition. ► H2 flow rate had an important role in decreasing the deposition rate of p-nc-Si films. ► H2 flow rate had an important role in increasing the crystallinity of p-nc-Si films. ► Change of microstructure found to affect the electrical properties of p-nc-Si films. ► A simple Si heterojunction solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 12.5 % was achieved.