We developed a novel technique for high-rate growth of microcrystalline silicon films by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, designing a novel cathode with interconnected multi-holes, which leads to generate uniformly flat-distributed stable high-density-plasma spots near cathode-surface. Improvement of quality of high-rate grown films was discussed, and microcrystalline silicon films with a low defect density of 1.2 x 10(16) cm(-3) were obtained at a high rate of 7.7 nm/s, demonstrating the efficient gas dissociation and the effectiveness of the novel cathode. The spatial distribution of plasma at cathode-surface holes was analyzed using optical emission spectroscopy for further optimization of plasma conditions. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.