A method of fabricating a solar cell, the method comprising: depositing, in a process tool having a controlled atmosphere, a thin dielectric layer of aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) on a surface of a single crystalline N-type silicon semiconductor substrate of the solar cell, the semiconductor substrate having a bandgap; and, without removing the semiconductor substrate from the controlled atmosphere of the process tool, forming a first semiconductor layer on the thin dielectric layer , the first semiconductor layer being transparent in the visible spectrum and having a bandgap at least approximately 0.2 eV above the bandgap of the semiconductor substrate and a bandgap of greater than 3 eV and comprising a material selected from the group consisting of: aluminum nitride (AIN), aluminum gallium nitride (Al x Ga 1-x N, where 0 < x < 1) and boron nitride (BN), wherein depositing the thin dielectric layer and forming the first semiconductor layer on the surface of the semiconductor substrate comprises depositing the thin dielectric layer and forming the first semiconductor layer on a back-contact surface and a light-receiving surface on of the semiconductor substrate; wherein the method further comprises: forming, without removing the semiconductor substrate from the controlled atmosphere of the process tool, a second semiconductor layer on the back-contact surface of the single crystalline N-type silicon semiconductor substrate of the solar cell, the second semiconductor layer comprising a wide bandgap semiconductor material doped to a second conductivity type and formed on a second thin dielectric layer on the back-contact surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the wide bandgap semiconductor material has a bandgap at least approximately 0.2 electron Volts (eV) above the bandgap of the semiconductor substrate; and wherein the first semiconductor layer is doped with charge carrier dopant impurity atoms of a first, opposite conductivity type to the second conductivity type. depositing, in a process tool having a controlled atmosphere, a thin dielectric layer of aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) on a surface of a single crystalline N-type silicon semiconductor substrate of the solar cell, the semiconductor substrate having a bandgap; and, without removing the semiconductor substrate from the controlled atmosphere of the process tool, forming a first semiconductor layer on the thin dielectric layer , the first semiconductor layer being transparent in the visible spectrum and having a bandgap at least approximately 0.2 eV above the bandgap of the semiconductor substrate and a bandgap of greater than 3 eV and comprising a material selected from the group consisting of: aluminum nitride (AIN), aluminum gallium nitride (Al x Ga 1-x N, where 0 < x < 1) and boron nitride (BN), wherein depositing the thin dielectric layer and forming the first semiconductor layer on the surface of the semiconductor substrate comprises depositing the thin dielectric layer and forming the first semiconductor layer on a back-contact surface and a light-receiving surface on of the semiconductor substrate; forming, without removing the semiconductor substrate from the controlled atmosphere of the process tool, a second semiconductor layer on the back-contact surface of the single crystalline N-type silicon semiconductor substrate of the solar cell, the second semiconductor layer comprising a wide bandgap semiconductor material doped to a second conductivity type and formed on a second thin dielectric layer on the back-contact surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the wide bandgap semiconductor material has a bandgap at least approximately 0.2 electron Volts (eV) above the bandgap of the semiconductor substrate; and wherein the first semiconductor layer is doped with charge carrier dopant impurity atoms of a first, opposite conductivity type to the second conductivity type. <EOS>