Microcrystalline silicon thin films were prepared by VHF-PECVD and studied by several diagnostic techniques. Deposition rate and Raman crystallinity were mapped out on the pressure-power density plane. A model was constructed based on the one-electron impact model to obtain the densities of different silicon related radicals, and densities of hydrogen in the plasma and a quantitative kinetic surface reaction model was constructed to obtain silyl diffusion length on the surface. Microcrystalline silicon growth was understood by a competing dominance between hydrogen etching, SiH 2 generation, ion distribution and SiH 3 diffusion length on the surface. These results contribute to understand microcrystalline silicon growth process, which is very important in fabricating microcrystalline silicon materials and solar cells.