Using a reduced pressure-chemical vapor deposition cluster tool, we have studied the epitaxial growth of Si using either a silane or a dichlorosilane + hydrochloric acid chemistry on fullsheet, patterned and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates. We have first of all developed a ("HF-last" advanced wet cleaning + low thermal budget (775degreesC, 2 min) in situ H-2 bake) combination that yields atomically smooth, contamination free Si starting surfaces for both fullsheet and patterned wafers. We have then modeled the low temperature Si growth rate (silane or dichlorosilane + hydrochloric acid chemistry) on fullsheet wafers. A similar growth rate activation energy is found for both chemistries, i.e. EGR similar to 50 kcal mol(-1). The growth rate dependency on the Si precursor flow is vastly different, however. Fitting this dependency with a simple power law, a value of 0.36 is indeed associated to dichlorosilane, versus 0.92 for silane. The HCl etching rate is characterized by an activation energy E-ER similar to 34 kcal mol(-1), with a 0.52 power law dependency on the HCl flow. On patterned wafers, we have demonstrated that a deposited Si thickness limit (20nm) exists at 775degreesC for high F(HCl)/F(SiH2Cl2) mass flow ratios. This limit disappears when (i) F(HCl)/F(SiH2Cl2) is reduced (ii) the growth temperature is increased to 800degreesC. Finally, we have highlighted the specifics of the growth on SOI wafers. A significant growth rate reduction (compared to bulk Si) has been evidenced on ultra-thin Si over-layer SOI wafers. It gets less and less pronounced as the buried oxide layer gets thinner and/or the Si over-layer thickness increases. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.