NOVELTY - The deposition process comprises subjecting a first precursor to microwave radiation that excites the first precursor to form an energized deposition medium, directing the energized deposition medium towards a substrate, and directing a second precursor to the substrate, where the second precursor combines with the energized deposition medium to form a thin film material on the substrate. The energized deposition medium has a first state remote from the substrate, and a second state adjacent to the substrate. The first state comprises a plasma. The second state lacks a plasma and is ionized.    USE - The process is useful for plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of amorphous, nanocrystalline, microcrystalline or polycrystalline silicon-containing thin film semiconductor material on a substrate, where the thin film semiconductor material is useful for manufacturing photovoltaic device such as a triple junction solar cell.    ADVANTAGE - The process ensures rapid and unique deposition of the thin film semiconductor material at high deposition rate with high mobility, low porosity and defect concentration and unique chemical bonding and structural configurations and without Staebler-Wronski degradation thus reducing the manufacturing cost of the solar cell and improving the solar conversion efficiency of the cell, and eliminates thermal stresses and potentially catastrophic failure of the substrate.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The deposition process comprises subjecting a first precursor to microwave radiation that excites the first precursor to form an energized deposition medium, directing the energized deposition medium towards a substrate, and directing a second precursor to the substrate, where the second precursor combines with the energized deposition medium to form a thin film material on the substrate. The energized deposition medium has a first state remote from the substrate, and a second state adjacent to the substrate. The first state comprises a plasma. The second state lacks a plasma and is ionized. The second precursor is present in an electrically neutral state. The first precursor lacks hydrogen. The second state is a lower energy state than the first state. The substrate is electrically grounded and biased, where the bias is an AC bias. The substrate has temperature of 350-450 degrees C. The molar flow ratio of the second precursor to the first precursor is 1.5-3. The thin film material is formed at a deposition rate of 100 A/s.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The diagram shows a schematic view of a system for the microwave deposition of thin film materials.    Microwave generator (105)    Microwave waveguide (110)    Microwave applicator (115)    Conduits (120, 125)    Deposition chamber. (160)