We explored the properties of the recombination centers in a-Si:H films deposited by HW-CVD compared to that by PE-CVD. Thermostimulated conductivity (TSC), electron spin resonance (ESR) and the constant photocurrent method (CPM) were measured before and after light soaking. We found that (a) the spectral lineshape of TSC and its light-induced changes show different features in HW- compared to those in PE-CVD films and (b) in the HW films the density of light-induced metastable defects. DeltaN(d), from CPM is larger than the DeltaDdegrees from ESR; however, in the PECVD films DeltaN(d), is smaller than DeltaDdegrees. Some possible explanations are discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.