TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Components: The solar cell further comprises: a protective layer (132) disposed on a surface of the dielectric layer, where the protective layer has a refractive index, which is lower than a refractive index of the dielectric layer; and an antireflection coating (112) disposed on the second side of the semiconductor substrate. The dielectric layer has a thickness of 1-100 nm. The protective layer comprises silicon nitride, silicon oxide and/or aluminum oxide. The protective layer has a thickness of 100-700 nm. The semiconductor substrate further comprises a first side and an opposite second side, and the dielectric layer is disposed on the first side of semiconductor substrate. The n-type layer is adjacent to the first side of the semiconductor substrate, the p-type layer is adjacent to the second side of the semiconductor substrate, or where the p-type layer is adjacent to the first side of the semiconductor substrate and the n-type layer is adjacent to the second side of the semiconductor substrate. Preferred Method: The step of disposing the dielectric layer comprises disposing a silicon source, an M source and an oxygen-containing gas. The step of disposing the dielectric layer comprises atomic layer deposition or plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The M source comprises a compound including a Group 13 element that has the moiety covalently bonded to the Group 13 element, where the Group 13 element preferably is boron or aluminum and/or M source comprises trimethylaluminum and/or trimethylboron. The oxygen-containing gas comprises oxygen and/or ozone.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The silicon source comprises a compound including silicon that has a moiety covalently bonded to the silicon, where the moiety is 1-30C alkyl group, 3-30C cycloalkyl group, 6-30 aromatic group, 1-30C alkoxy group, amide group (all optionally substituted) and/or hydrogen, where the silicon source preferably comprises tetraethoxysilane. Preferred Definitions:    M = B, Al, Ga, In and/or Ti.