Patent ID: 8330040

Claim:
A photovoltaic cell comprising: a superstrate having a front side and a back side, the back side having a plurality of spaced ramps including ramped surfaces and vertical faces which are substantially perpendicular to the back side of the superstrate; a transparent conductive oxide layer on the back side of the superstrate; an amorphous silicon layer overlying the transparent conductive oxide layer, wherein the amorphous silicon layer does not extend above the vertical faces of the spaced ramps; and a metal layer overlying the amorphous silicon layer, the metal layer having a front side facing the amorphous silicon layer and a back side, wherein the spaced ramps extend from the superstrate through the transparent conductive oxide layer and the amorphous silicon layer and the metal layer is smoothed resulting in a substantially flat back surface exposing portions of the amorphous silicon layer.