In this work, p-type solar-grade Si (100) wafers with a thickness of 180 pm were used to fabricate Al-doped ZnO(AZO)/n-type Si:H/i-Si:H/c-Si(p) nanowire (NW) array solar cells in which the Si:H and Al2O3 layers were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical deposition and atomic layer deposition, respectively. To realize a good coverage of Si:H layers on the Si NWs, excessively thin Si:H layers were avoided. Moreover, since the NW array gives rise to significant light trapping, the light absorption by the Si:H layers could not be neglected. It is known that compared to amorphous Si:H, the charge mobility and light absorption are improved in the two-phase Si:H with nanocrystalline grains dispersed in the amorphous matrix. Therefore, it is important to investigate the influence of the microstructures of n-type Si:H on the performance of solar cells. On the other hand, in contrast to the Al2O3 passivation of planar Si solar cells, in this study, ultrathin Al2O3 layers were deposited on Si NWs without post-deposition annealing. We also discuss the passivation behavior of these ultrathin Al2O3 layers on n-type Si:H and the balance between the surface passivation and the role of these layers as tunnel barriers. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.