Three-dimensional thin-film semiconductor substrate with through-holes and methods of manufacturing

1. A three-dimensional thin-film semiconductor substrate for fabricating a partially transparent three-dimensional thin-film solar cell, comprising:

a plurality of top surface areas substantially aligned along a (100) crystallographic plane of the semiconductor substrate and defining a base opening of an inverted pyramidal surface cavity on said top surface of the semiconductor substrate;

a plurality of walls each substantially aligned along a (111) crystallographic orientation plane of the semiconductor substrate wherein said walls form a plurality of at least two differently sized three-dimensional inverted pyramidal cavities comprising a larger set of three-dimensional inverted pyramidal cavities and a smaller set of three-dimensional inverted pyramidal cavities wherein said larger set of inverted pyramidal cavities and said smaller set of inverted pyramidal cavities are arranged in a staggered pattern on said semiconductor substrate;

a plurality of selectively formed through-holes in said semiconductor substrate with openings having diagonals in the range of 50 to 300 microns and positioned between the front and back lateral surface planes of said semiconductor substrate which form a partially transparent three-dimensional thin-film semiconductor substrate,

wherein said semiconductor substrate has an inverted pyramidal structure with a layer thickness in the range of 1 to 60 microns and a substrate peak to peak thickness in the range of approximately 100 to 500 microns.

2. The three-dimensional thin-film semiconductor substrate of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of selectively formed through-holes in said semiconductor substrate are positioned in said smaller set of three-dimensional inverted pyramidal cavities on said semiconductor substrate.

3. The three-dimensional thin-film semiconductor substrate of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of selectively formed through-holes in said semiconductor substrate are positioned in said larger set of three-dimensional inverted pyramidal cavities on said semiconductor substrate.

4. The three-dimensional thin-film semiconductor substrate of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of selectively formed through-holes in said semiconductor substrate are positioned on the top surface areas on said semiconductor substrate.

5. A three-dimensional thin-film solar cell, comprising:

a plurality of at least two differently sized three-dimensional inverted pyramidal cavities comprising a larger set of three-dimensional inverted pyramidal cavities and a smaller set of three-dimensional inverted pyramidal cavities wherein said larger set of inverted pyramidal cavities and said smaller set of inverted pyramidal cavities are arranged in a staggered pattern on a semiconductor substrate;

a plurality of selectively formed through-holes in said semiconductor substrate with openings between the front and back lateral surface planes of said semiconductor substrate which form a partially transparent three-dimensional thin-film semiconductor substrate,

wherein said semiconductor substrate has an inverted pyramidal structure with a layer thickness in the range of 1 to 60 microns and a substrate peak to peak thickness in the range of approximately 100 to 500 microns;

a sunny side n-type doped emitter region positioned on the top surface of said semiconductor substrate and a front side surface passivation layer and an anti-reflection layer positioned on said emitter region;

a back surface field p-type doped base region positioned on the bottom surface of said semiconductor substrate and a back side surface passivation layer positioned on said base region;

a plurality of emitter metal contacts positioned on base openings of said inverted pyramidal cavities on said semiconductor substrate; and

a plurality of base metal contacts positioned on the bottom surface of said semiconductor substrate at the apex of said inverted pyramidal cavities on said semiconductor substrate.