Polycrystalline diamond films have been deposited on Si wafer Ly hot W filament CVD method using CH4H2 mixtures. The effects of surface pretreatment, W filament temperature, CH4 volume fraction, and addition of water vapor on the growth rate and morphology of the films were investigated. Surface pretretment was essential for depositing a continuous diamond film. Raising the filament temperature resulted in an increased growth rate and a better crystal quality of the film. As the methane content is varied from 0.5% to 5%, well-faceted crystals gradually transformed into spherical particles of non-diamond phase with a simultaneous increase in the growth rate. Addition of water vapor markedly improved the crystallinity to produce crystalline particles even with 5% methane mixture.