TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred Method: In fabricating the bifacial solar cell, applying the back surface contact grid further comprises screen printing the back surface contact grid, and where applying the front surface contact grid further comprises screen printing the front surface contact grid. Firing the back surface contact grid further comprises firing the back surface grid through the back surface passivation and AR dielectric layer and through the back surface junction to form a floating back surface junction. The method further comprises removing the back surface junction and isolating the front surface junction, where the back surface junction removing step further comprises etching the back surface; and applying a back surface metal grid onto the back surface of the silicon substrate, where the back surface metal grid applying step is performed after the back surface junction removing step and before the back surface passivation and AR dielectric layer depositing step, and where the method of claim 1 further comprises aligning the back surface contact grid with the back surface metal grid. The back surface metal grid applying step further comprises depositing the back surface metal grid through a shadow mask onto the back surface of the silicon substrate. The back surface metal grid applying step further comprises screen printing the back surface metal grid onto the back surface of the silicon substrate. Firing the back surface contact grid is performed prior to applying the front surface contact grid. Also, firing the back and front surface contact grids are performed simultaneously. Firing the back surface contact grid is performed prior to applying the front surface contact grid. The PSG removing step further comprises etching the front surface with a hydrofluoric acid etch. Alternatively, fabricating the bifacial solar cell comprises: depositing a dielectric layer onto a back surface of a silicon substrate; diffusing phosphorus onto a front surface of the silicon substrate to form an n layer and a front surface junction; removing a PSG formed during the phosphorus diffusing step; depositing a front surface passivation and AR dielectric layer onto the n+ layer; applying a back surface contact grid; applying a front surface contact grid; firing the back surface contact grid; firing the front surface contact grid; and isolating the front surface junction. Applying the back surface contact grid further comprises screen printing the back surface contact grid, and where applying the front surface contact grid further comprises screen printing the front surface contact grid. Isolating the front surface junction is performed using a laser scriber. Firing the back and front surface contact grids are performed simultaneously. Firing the back surface contact grid is performed prior to applying the front surface contact grid. Preferred Solar Cell: The bifacial solar cell further comprises a floating junction of the first conductivity type located on at least a portion of the back surface of the silicon substrate, where the silicon substrate is comprised of a p-type silicon, the active region is comprised of n material resulting from a phosphorus diffusion step, and the first and second dielectric layers are selected from silicon nitride, silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride. The bifacial solar cell as well comprises a grid pattern of a third metal deposited directly on the back surface of the silicon substrate and interposed between the back surface of the silicon substrate and the second dielectric layer, where the second screen printed contact grid is registered to the grid pattern, and where after the firing step the second screen printed contact grid is alloyed through the second dielectric layer to the grid pattern of the third metal; and a groove on the front surface of the silicon substrate, the groove isolating a front junction formed by the active region and the silicon substrate.