Passivation of photovoltaic devices

A method of fabricating a photovoltaic device stack, the method comprising:

• forming a barrier layer on a photovoltaic device layer stack, wherein the device layer stack comprises:
• a first contact layer having a first thickness;
• a first charge transport layer (CTL) having a second thickness positioned over a surface of the first contact layer;
• an absorber layer having a third thickness positioned over a surface of the first CTL;
• a second CTL having a fourth thickness positioned over a surface of the absorber layer;
• a second contact layer having fifth thickness positioned over a surface of the second CTL;
• and
• a first scribe line defined by at least one surface,
• wherein:
• the at least one surface of the first scribe line comprises at least a portion of the third thickness, fourth thickness, fifth thickness, and at least a portion of the second thickness,
• the barrier layer comprises at least one of a metal oxide, a polymer, a resin, an aryl ammonium halide, an alkyl ammonium halide, or lead sulphate, and
• the barrier layer is formed over at least a portion of the at least one surface of the first scribe line.