An improved chemical vapor deposition method for the high-rate low-temperature deposition of high-quality thin film material. The method includes the steps of providing an evacuated chamber having a plasma deposition region defined therein; placing a substrate (24) inside the chamber; supplying plasma deposition precursor gases to the deposition region in the evacuated chamber; directing microwave energy from a source (4) thereof to the deposition region, the microwave energy interacting with the deposition precursor gases to form a plasma of electrons, ions and activated electrically neutral species, the plasma including one or more depositing species; increasing the surface mobility of the depositing species in the plasma by coupling additional non-microwave electronic energy and magnetic energy into the plasma, without intentionally adding thermal energy to the substrate (24) or precursor gas; and depositing a thin film of material onto the substrate (24).