The electronic quality of multicrystalline material produced by directional solidification has been evaluated by means of photoconductance techniques. Very high minority carrier lifetimes, in the vicinity of 200 &mgr;s, have been measured inp-type 1.5 &OHgr; cm material that had received a phosphorus diffusion gettering treatment. The measurements correspond to an effective lifetime averaged over an area of 3 cm2that includes several grain boundaries and reflects the combined bulk, grain boundary and surface recombination mechanisms. The high lifetime (15&mgr;s) also obtained in low resistivity 0.2 &OHgr; cm wafers has allowed the fabrication of solar cells with an open-circuit voltage of 657 mV (AM1.5 G, 100 mW/cm2, 25 °C), probably the highest ever reported for multicrystalline silicon. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.