Selective laser ablation of dielectric layers on crystalline silicon wafers was investigated for solar cell fabrication. Laser processing was performed on Al2O3, and bi-layers Al2O3/SiNx:H with a nanosecond UV laser at various energy densities ranging from 0.4 to 2 J cm(-2). Ablation threshold was correlated to the simulated temperature at the interface between the dielectric coatings and the silicon substrate. Laser-induced damage to the silicon substrate was evaluated by time-resolved photoluminescence. The minority carrier lifetime deduced from time-resolved photoluminescence was related to the depth of the heat affected zone in the substrate. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.