A passivation glass coating composition is provided for forming a fired passivation glass layer on a semiconductor substrate having p-n junction. The passivation glass coating composition includes a glass component that is lead free, cadmium free, alkali metal oxides free, and colored transition metal oxides (i.e. metal oxides of V, Fe, Co, Ni, Cr, Cu, Mn) free. The glass component includes bismuth based glasses, and provides a firing temperature range of 500° C. to 900° C., and controlled devitrification. Once fired to a semiconductor device, the fired passivation glass layer provides exceptional device performance including no cracking of the fired passivation glass layer, excellent thermal expansion matching to silicon, good chemical resistance to acid and base, and improved device performance.