A method of fabricating a solar cell, the solar cell having a front side (401, 501) which faces the sun during normal operation and a back side (403, 503) opposite the front side, the method comprising: forming a dielectric region (410, 510) on a silicon substrate (402, 502), wherein the substrate has contaminants, the contaminants including metal impurities and/or metal contaminants; forming a first emitter region (412, 512) over the dielectric region, the first emitter region being a P-type or N-type doped region; forming a dopant region on a surface (404, 504) of the silicon substrate, wherein the surface (404, 504) is the front and/or back side of the solar cell; heating the silicon substrate at a temperature above 900 degrees Celsius to getter the contaminants to the first emitter region (412, 512) and drive dopants from the dopant region to a portion (406, 506) of the silicon substrate (402, 502), wherein the portion (406, 506) of the silicon substrate (402, 502) has a dopant concentration of approximately less than or equal to 2x10 18 cm -3 after heating; forming a second emitter region (414, 514) having metal impurities over the dielectric region, the second emitter region being a P-type or N-type doped region; and forming a metal contact formed over the second emitter region, wherein either the first and second emitter regions are formed on the back side of the solar cell and the second emitter region is formed at least partially over the first emitter region with a further dielectric region formed between the first emitter region and the second emitter region, or the first emitter region (412, 414) is formed on a side of the solar cell opposite a side of the solar cell on which the second emitter region (414, 412) is formed. forming a dielectric region (410, 510) on a silicon substrate (402, 502), wherein the substrate has contaminants, the contaminants including metal impurities and/or metal contaminants; forming a first emitter region (412, 512) over the dielectric region, the first emitter region being a P-type or N-type doped region; forming a dopant region on a surface (404, 504) of the silicon substrate, wherein the surface (404, 504) is the front and/or back side of the solar cell; heating the silicon substrate at a temperature above 900 degrees Celsius to getter the contaminants to the first emitter region (412, 512) and drive dopants from the dopant region to a portion (406, 506) of the silicon substrate (402, 502), wherein the portion (406, 506) of the silicon substrate (402, 502) has a dopant concentration of approximately less than or equal to 2x10 18 cm -3 after heating; forming a second emitter region (414, 514) having metal impurities over the dielectric region, the second emitter region being a P-type or N-type doped region; and forming a metal contact formed over the second emitter region, wherein either the first and second emitter regions are formed on the back side of the solar cell and the second emitter region is formed at least partially over the first emitter region with a further dielectric region formed between the first emitter region and the second emitter region, or the first emitter region (412, 414) is formed on a side of the solar cell opposite a side of the solar cell on which the second emitter region (414, 412) is formed.