As silicon-based technologies move towards submicron dimensions, vertical and three dimensional structures, the need for reduced thermal processing becomes more evident than ever. Currently, insulator (usually SiO2) growth and deposition contribute significantly to the total thermal budget, and it is clear that this will have to be reduced in future processes. In addition, many other applications require the deposition of high quality dielectrics at very low substrate temperatures, typically ≳ 350°C. Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) is a technique which can be used to deposit insulators at suitably low temperatures, although it tends to produce SiO2 which exhibits poor electrical and physical properties and which forms poor interfaces with semiconductor substrates. Direct exposure to the high energy environment of the plasma is generally thought to be the main reason for this.