TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRONICS - Preferred Method: In the surface passivation of a silicon semiconductor, the dielectric layer is deposited by use of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The precursor gases are silane (SiH4), ammonia (NH3), or nitrous oxide (N2O) or an organic silicon-containing precursor and O2; the temperature in the deposition chamber is kept at 50-500 degrees C, preferably at 250-400 degrees C; and the dopant forming gas is a gaseous compound containing boron. Preferably, the dopant forming gas is diborane (B2H6). The thickness of the deposited film is 40-200 nm. The method also comprises: (i) forming a first dielectric layer onto the semiconductor of amorphous silicon, amorphous silicon nitride, or silicon dioxide; and (ii) depositing n-type doped silicon nitride layer as the second dielectric layer. It also comprises forming a third layer of un-doped amorphous silicon nitride as the third passivation layer. Deposition of the dielectric layer is performed by: (i) employing SiH4 and one of N2O or a silicon containing organic precursor and O2 as precursor gases to form a first dielectric layer of SiO2 on the semiconductor; (ii) employing SiH4, NH3, and B2O6 as precursor gases to form a p-type doped silicon nitride layer onto the first dielectric layer; and (iii) employing SiH4 and NH3 as precursor gases to form a non-doped silicon nitride layer onto the p-typed doped silicon nitride layer. Preferred Solar Cell: The semiconductor wafer contains: (a) a first dielectric layer of amorphous silicon, amorphous silicon nitride, or silicon dioxide, preferably doped amorphous silicon or doped silicon dioxide with thickness of 2-500 nm, and which is doped with boron in a concentration providing a negative charge density of 109 to 1015 cm-2; (b) a doped silicon nitride layer onto the first dielectric layer, which have thickness of 10-200 nm and which is doped with boron in a concentration providing a negative charge density of 109 to 1015 cm-2; and (c) a final non-doped silicon nitride layer onto the doped silicon nitride layer, and which has thickness of 2-500 nm.