In this work silicon nitride (Si(3)N(4)) film was deposited its an antireflection coating (ARC) oil crystalline silicon solar cell (cell#A) using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Two solar cells XA and XB of approximately equal area were diced from cell#A and characterized by angle-dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS profiling shows the presence of silicon (Si), nitrogen (N), carbon (C) and oxygen (O) ill the Si(3)N(4) film. The presence of C and O indicates that organic substances, involved in processing steps were not released completely from the surface and may diffuse in Si(3)N(4) ARC during deposition. The XPS spectra corresponding to Si2p, Nls, Cls and Ols were recorded at angles 0 degrees (normal to the surface), 30 degrees and 45 degrees, as angle increases spectra becomes more surface sensitive. Peak positions in Si2p and Nls spectra explain the oxygen contamination in the Si(3)N(4) film. The shift in the peak positions of Cls and Ols as angle increases from 0 degrees to 45 degrees explains the surface contamination of carbon and oxygen. The atomic composition of elements Si, N, C and O show more carbon, oxygen concentration and smaller N/Si ratio than stoichiometry, i.e. Si(3)N(4) ill cell XB. However, cell XA not only show better photovoltaic performance in terms of parameters open-circuit voltage (V(oc)), short-circuit current density (J(sc)), fill factor (FF) and efficiency (eta) but also have more uniform texturization and regular pyramids oil the surface as revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The presence of higher concentration of impurities (carbon and oxygen), non-uniformity in texturization and in the Si(3)N(4) film as well could be responsible for less satisfactory photovoltaic performance of cell XB. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.