passivate
verb
pas·siv·ate
ˈpa-si-ˌvāt 
passivated; passivating
1
: to make inactive or less reactive
passivate the surface of steel by chemical treatment
2
: to protect (something, such as a solid-state device) against contamination by coating or surface treatment
Examples of passivate in a Sentence
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Engineers had mastered the technical steps of making silicon wafers, diffusing diode junctions, applying metal grids to the solar-cell surfaces, passivating the semiconductor surface to add an antireflective coating, and laminating modules.
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David Fork, IEEE Spectrum, 28 June 2021
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David Fork, IEEE Spectrum, 28 June 2021
Cite this Entry
“Passivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passivate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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