A method of fabricating a back-contact solar cell, the method comprising: forming a poly-crystalline material layer (202; 302A+302B) above a single-crystalline substrate (200; 300); forming a dielectric material stack (204; 304) above the poly-crystalline material layer (202; 302A+302B); forming a plurality of contact holes in the dielectric material stack (204; 304), each of the contact holes exposing a portion of the poly-crystalline material layer (202; 302A+302B); and forming conductive contacts (210; 310) in the plurality of contact holes, wherein forming the poly-crystalline material layer (202A+202B; 302A+302B) above the single-crystalline substrate (200; 300) comprises forming a layer of poly-crystalline silicon above a single-crystalline silicon substrate, wherein forming the layer of poly-crystalline silicon above the single-crystalline silicon substrate comprises forming the layer of poly-crystalline silicon directly on a dielectric film (201; 301), the dielectric film (201; 301) formed directly on the single-crystalline silicon substrate, and characterized in that the plurality of contact holes are formed by laser ablation, forming the layer of poly-crystalline silicon above the single-crystalline silicon substrate further comprising forming both N-type doped region (202A; 302A) and P-type doped region (202B; 302B) in the layer of poly-crystalline silicon, wherein by forming the plurality of contact holes in the dielectric material stack by laser ablation, a recast poly signature is formed in the poly-crystalline material layer (302A+302B); and the plurality of conductive contacts formed in the plurality of contact holes in the dielectric material stack are coupled directly to a portion of the poly-crystalline material layer (302A+302B), one of the conductive contacts in alignment with the recast poly signature. forming a poly-crystalline material layer (202; 302A+302B) above a single-crystalline substrate (200; 300); forming a dielectric material stack (204; 304) above the poly-crystalline material layer (202; 302A+302B); forming a plurality of contact holes in the dielectric material stack (204; 304), each of the contact holes exposing a portion of the poly-crystalline material layer (202; 302A+302B); and forming conductive contacts (210; 310) in the plurality of contact holes, wherein forming the poly-crystalline material layer (202A+202B; 302A+302B) above the single-crystalline substrate (200; 300) comprises forming a layer of poly-crystalline silicon above a single-crystalline silicon substrate, wherein forming the layer of poly-crystalline silicon above the single-crystalline silicon substrate comprises forming the layer of poly-crystalline silicon directly on a dielectric film (201; 301), the dielectric film (201; 301) formed directly on the single-crystalline silicon substrate, and characterized in that the plurality of contact holes are formed by laser ablation, forming the layer of poly-crystalline silicon above the single-crystalline silicon substrate further comprising forming both N-type doped region (202A; 302A) and P-type doped region (202B; 302B) in the layer of poly-crystalline silicon, wherein by forming the plurality of contact holes in the dielectric material stack by laser ablation, a recast poly signature is formed in the poly-crystalline material layer (302A+302B); and the plurality of conductive contacts formed in the plurality of contact holes in the dielectric material stack are coupled directly to a portion of the poly-crystalline material layer (302A+302B), one of the conductive contacts in alignment with the recast poly signature.