Al/Ni chloride vapor has been employed for the first time to enhance the crystallization of amorphous Si (a-Si) films. a-Si films under the vapor at 480 degrees C were completely crystallized in 5 h. At the initial stage of the vapor induced crystallization (VIC), the seed grains were nucleated evenly throughout the film and their grain size was uniform. The final grain size was larger than 10 mm, depending on the process conditions. The poly-Si films showed a very smooth surface with a roughness of 4.26 angstrom due to the double surface-oxide layer formed during the VIC process. (C) 2005 The Electrochemical Society.