Patent ID: 8153888

Claim:
A monolithic high-efficiency lateral multi-junction tandem solar cell comprising: a micro-lens layer having an upper surface formed to concentrate an incident light signal impinging on the solar cell; the micro-lens layer being formed from a low refractive index material that has been deposited, patterned, and etched directly onto a high refractive index material; a primary semiconductor substrate slab layer having an upper surface and a lower surface; the upper surface of the primary semiconductor substrate slab layer being apportioned into a desired pattern of a plurality of alternating areas having compatible first semiconductor segments or second photovoltaic cell members; the first semiconductor segments being formed beneath and extending essentially even with the upper surface of the primary semiconductor slab layer; and the second photovoltaic cell members having a lower surface in contact with the upper surface of the primary substrate slab layer and forming a short wavelength color band photovoltaic cell; the second photovoltaic cell members having an opposing upper surface; a short-pass filter element being formed with the upper surface of the second photovoltaic cell members; the short-pass filter element of the second photovoltaic cell members includes a dichroic mirror transmitting only selected short wavelength light and reflecting all other incident longer wavelength light; a plurality of refractive surface members formed from a high refractive index material deposited, patterned, and etched to refract incident light directly onto the dichroic filters and having a lower surface mating with the upper surface of the primary, semiconductor substrate slab layer and an upper surface mating with a lower surface of the micro-lens layer; and, a plurality of reflective micro-mirrors deposited, patterned, and etched on the upper surface of the refractive surface members to reflect and redirect light from the dichroic mirrors deposited on the second photovoltaic cell members to the first semiconductor segments.