In the aluminum-induced layer exchange process polycrystalline silicon thin films can be formed on foreign substrates at low temperatures. These films exhibit a preferential (10 0) crystal orientation,, that depends on the annealing temperature. Further, the preferential orientation is sensitive to the nature of the Al oxide layer between the Si and the Al. A model based on preferential nucleation is presented which elucidates a possible origin of the preferential (10 0) orientation and its sensitivity to temperature and the aluminum oxide interlayer. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.