NOVELTY - Shielding of electrical contact comprises continuously forming passivating dielectric layer (42) over substrate (43) except at controlled contact openings on geometrical texture structures of substrate.    USE - Shielding of electrical contact in high-efficiency crystalline solar cell (claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The method provides practical and controllable technique of forming electrical contact between conducting layer and underlying substrate through passivating dielectric layer, thus achieving both good surface passivation and electrical contact with low recombination losses, as required for high efficiency solar cells. The passivating dielectric layer is intentionally modified to allow direct contact, or tunnel barrier contact, with substrate. Additional P-N junctions and dopant gradients are provided to further limit losses and increase efficiency.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The method also comprises providing controlled contact openings within dielectric layer by selectively eroding dielectric layer, preferably at controlled areas of dielectric layer through plasma ion bombardment or reactive ion etching, or by directed ablation energy, e.g. laser; forming P-N junction in substrate beneath passivating dielectric layer; modifying geometrical texture structures using electric charge or electrical field that is concentrated due to geometrical shape of texture structures to erode dielectric layer over specific areas of texture structures; and eroding dielectric layer at peaks of texture structures formed at intersections of geometrical planes of texture structures thus eroding dielectric layer over specific areas of texture structures. The geometrical shape of texture structures is larger at base and converging to peak or spiked-tip which allows contact openings to increase as peak, or spiked-tip is eroded off. The P-N junction is formed via diffusion or injection of dopants from dopant-containing conductive layer through controlled contact openings in passivating dielectric layer. The dopant diffusion depth is greatest at peaks and intersecting planes of texture structures forming contact openings, thus forming P-N junction away from peaks and intersecting planes and providing minimized surface recombination.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawing shows a partial cross-sectional view of controlled contact opening through dielectric layer.    Dielectric layer (42)    Substrate (43)    Ion bombardment (46)