This work intends to compare two different passivation methods for electromagnetically continuous pulling silicon (EMCP): remote plasma hydrogenation and remote plasma enhanced CVD of SiN followed by high-temperature sintering, All experiments are carried out on textured and non-textured EMCP samples from the same ingot. To check the effect of high-temperature diffusion on EMCP, a n(+)-emitter is formed on one group of the samples using POCl3 diffusion. Passivation capabilities of both techniques are checked using measurements of minority carrier lifetime by means of microwave photoconductance decay mapping. Solar cells are made to compare lifetime measurement with cell parameters. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.