Patent ID: 8115097

Claim:
A photovoltaic cell structure comprising: a substrate including a photovoltaic material that generates a non-zero electric potential across a front surface and a back surface of said substrate upon irradiation by electromagnetic radiation, said substrate including a p-n junction between said front surface and said back surface and including a surface portion located between said front surface and said p-n junction; at least one laterally-insulated through-substrate contact structure embedded in said substrate, wherein said at least one laterally-insulated through-substrate contact structure comprises a conductive through-substrate via contacting said surface portion and not conductively connected to any portion of said substrate between said p-n junction and said back surface; a first contiguous metal wiring structure that is spaced from said back surface and is in contact with said at least one conductive through-substrate via; a second contiguous metal wiring structure in contact with said back surface of said substrate, wherein said non-zero electric potential is provided across said first and second contiguous metal wiring structures; and an anti-reflective layer located directly on said front surface, wherein said anti-reflective layer is a conductive material, and said at least one conductive through-substrate via is not in contact with said anti-reflective layer, wherein a horizontal surface of said at least one conductive through-substrate via is vertically spaced from said anti-reflective layer by said surface portion of said photovoltaic material, and said surface portion vertically contacts said at least one conductive through-substrate via and said anti-reflective layer.