Patent ID: 8294024

Claim:
A method for making a photovoltaic device, comprising: providing a silicon substrate having an n-type silicon layer; forming a silicon nitride layer on the n-type silicon layer of the silicon substrate; placing a reactive metal in contact with said silicon nitride layer and not in contact with said n-type silicon layer of said silicon substrate; placing a non-reactive metal in contact with said reactive metal, wherein said reactive metal makes up between 1 and 25 weight percent of the total weight of the reactive and non-reactive metals; firing said silicon substrate, silicon nitride layer, reactive metal and non-reactive metal such that said reactive metal transforms said silicon nitride to form a low Schottky barrier height contact to said n-type silicon layer, said low Schottky barrier height contact comprised of one or more conductive metal nitrides, and such that a conductive metal electrode is formed in contact with said low Schottky barrier height contact.