Photovoltaic cell with passivating contact

A semiconductor substrate having an active region and a first surface and a second surface facing each other, comprising a first type of passivating layer for providing an electrical contact of a first conductivity type only on a part of the first surface of the semiconductor substrate,

• wherein a dielectric layer is provided between the first type of passivating layer and an active region of the semiconductor substrate, and
• wherein doping of the first conductivity type is provided in a layer of the active region of the semiconductor substrate near the first surface, aligned with the first type of passivating layer, and wherein the lateral dopant level in the layer of the active region near the first surface has a generally uniform character,
• wherein a thickness and/or integrated dopant concentration per unit area of the layer of the active region near the first surface is smaller in first areas of the layer vertically corresponding to the first type of passivating layer than in second areas of the layer vertically corresponding to areas between the first type of passivating layer.