NOVELTY - Forming a photovoltaic conductive feature, involves providing substrate comprising a passivation layer disposed on a silicon layer; depositing a surface modifying material comprising a UV-curable material; curing it; depositing composition comprising at least one metallic nanoparticle comprising a metal or its precursor, onto portion of cured material; and heating such that at least one of the cured material or the composition etches a region of the passivation layer and forms at least a portion of a photovoltaic conductive feature that is in electrical contact with the silicon layer.    USE - For forming photovoltaic conductive features e.g. a set of finger lines and bus bars (Claimed) by screen printing, lithographic printing, gravure printing, flexographic printing, photopatterning printing, syringe printing, aerosol jetting, piezo-electric printing, thermal printing, drop-on-demand printing or ink-jet printing, preferably screen printing, ink-jet printing, or direct-write printing useful in the production of photovoltaic cells, optical, electronic, display, and fuel cell applications.    ADVANTAGE - The composition can be deposited and converted to a photovoltaic conductive feature at low temperatures, thereby enabling the use of a variety of substrates having a relatively low melting or decomposition temperature. When the particles comprise a ceramic material, the compositions and processes provide the ability to form photovoltaic features having a lower ceramic content than in conventional photovoltaic conductive features. As a result of the comparatively low ceramic content. The compositions and processes provide the ability to form photovoltaic conductive features having improved conductivity over conventional photovoltaic conductive features. It enables printing front grid electrodes that minimize the contact and line resistances.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Forming a photovoltaic conductive feature, involves providing a substrate comprising a passivation layer disposed on a silicon layer; depositing a surface modifying material comprising a UV-curable material; curing it to form a cured material; depositing a composition comprising at least one metallic nanoparticle comprising a metal or its precursor, onto at least a portion of the cured material; and heating the cured material and the composition such that at least one of the cured material or the composition etches a region of the passivation layer and such that the composition forms at least a portion of a photovoltaic conductive feature that is in electrical contact with the silicon layer. The composition comprises the metal precursor that comprises an anion that etches the passivation layer. The metallic anoparticles comprise a continuous or noncontinuous cap or coating on it. The cap or coating comprises a polymer or ceramic material.