NOVELTY - The method involves forming a tunnel (104) layer on a surface of a substrate (102). The tunnel layer has a dielectric material and a polysilicon layer (106) is formed over the tunnel layer. A polysilicon layer is heated to a temperature which is adapted to cause the formed polysilicon layer to densify. A passivating layer (109) is formed over the polysilicon layer. The passivating layer is formed for the flow of oxygen containing gas into a processing chamber while heating the polysilicon layer to the temperature.    USE - Method for forming solar cell device (claimed) e.g. passivated polysilicon emitter solar cell device.    ADVANTAGE - The inclusion of the passivating layer can reduce the reverse saturation current of the solar cell. The resistivity of the polysilicon can be reduced so that polysilicon emitter can be used to conduct current to contact grid lines. The amount of optical absorption of the polysilicon can be reduced when the formed solar cell is used. The polysilicon emitter is passivated without significant modification to the currently existing polysilicon emitter formation process, thus the time and investment can be saved efficiently and the solar cell device performance can be improved by reducing the chance for carrier recombination at the surface of the emitter structure. The optional passivating layer is typically thin, so that optional passivating layer can reduce the surface recombination on the back side at the interface between the optional respective polysilicon layer and the back contact layer. The electric current can pass through the tunnel layer, so that the tunnel layer thickness can be made small to reduce the junctions electrical resistance. The densification process can be performed on the polysilicon layer, so that the material in the polysilicon layer can become denser, sheet resistance can be reduced and the optical transmission of the formed layer can be improved.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for the following:    (1) solar cell device; and    (2) apparatus for forming solar cell device.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawing shows a schematic view of the polysilicon emitter solar cell.    Polysilicon emitter solar cell (100)    Substrate (102)    Tunnel layer (104)    Polysilicon layer (106)    Passivating layer (109)