The fabrication of thin film silicon devices based on solution processes rather than on conventional vacuum processes is of substantial interest since cost reductions may result. Using a solution process, we coated substrates with polydihydrosilane solution and studied the pyrolytic transformation of the material into hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). From thermal gravimetry and differential thermal analysis data a significant reduction in weight of the material and a construction of Si-Si bonds are concluded for the pyrolysis temperature T-p=270 to 360 degrees C. The appearance of amorphous silicon phonon bands in Raman spectra for films prepared at T-p >= 330 degrees C suggests the construction of a three-dimensional amorphous silicon network. Films prepared at T-p >= 360 degrees C exhibit a hydrogen content near 10 at.% and an optical gap near 1.6 eV similar to device-grade vacuum processed a-Si:H. However, the infrared microstructure factor, the spin density, and the photosensitivity require significant improvements. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.