Patent ID: 8778448

Claim:
A method of forming a photovoltaic device comprising: providing a crystalline doped semiconductor material having a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, wherein a layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon containing material is disposed across an entirety of said first surface and second surface of said crystalline doped semiconductor material; and annealing each layer of said hydrogenated amorphous silicon containing material at a temperature from 100° C. to 400° C. and in a deuterium containing atmosphere selected from the group consisting of 100% deuterium (D 2 ), and deuterium (D 2 ) in combination with at least one gas selected from the group consisting of helium, argon, krypton, nitrogen and combinations thereof, wherein deuterium is introduced to a lattice of each layer of said hydrogenated amorphous silicon containing material.