Patent ID: 8790947

Claim:
A method for forming a three-dimensional photovoltaic cell, the method comprising: forming a conductive layer over a substrate; forming a passivation layer over the conductive layer; forming a photoresist layer over the passivation layer; patterning the photoresist layer for one or more holes; etching the passivation layer to form the one or more holes, wherein said etching is performed such that a sidewall of each of the one or more holes through the photoresist layer has a surface roughness; forming a conductive material in a hole of the one or more holes; and removing the photoresist layer, wherein sidewalls of the conductive material have the surface roughness, and said etching the passivation layer is performed such that the sidewall surface roughness of the conductive material provides a selected level of scattering of light incident on the sidewalls.