A low-temperature, two-stage process that employs interface engineering is investigated for deposition of poly-Si thin films on SiO 2 and glass. In this two-stage process, film growth is separated into two regimes: ͑i͒ interface formation and ͑ii͒ bulk film growth. Interface formation ͑stage 1͒ was optimized for remote plasma enhanced chemical-vapor deposition ͑PECVD͒ of ultra thin ͑Ͻ100 Å͒ c-Si films on the oxide. This layer acts as a seed template, providing ordered growth sites for the next stage of film growth. Bulk Si film deposition ͑stage 2͒ was then initiated on the seed template using remote PECVD process conditions shown to produce low-temperature ͑Ͻ450°C͒, epitaxial-Si films on crystalline silicon substrates, so as to drive a transition to larger grain growth off of the seed crystals. Results showed that the seed layer had a dramatic impact on bulk film crystallinity. Films deposited without a c-Si seed layer were amorphous, whereas films deposited using a seed layer, in conjunction with the appropriate second stage conditions, were highly oriented ͑220͒ poly-Si.