Thin film photovoltaic devices with microlens arrays

A thin film solar cell, comprising:

• a transparent microlens array (MLA) layer;
• a transparent substrate including an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, the upper surface being an essentially flat transparent light receiving surface;
• a transparent electrode directly contacting the lower surface of the transparent substrate;
• an active layer;
• and
• a distal reflective electrode;
• wherein the MLA layer comprises an array of lenses comprising a multiplicity of hemisphere lenses of equal or different sizes, a lower flat surface of the array of lenses directly contacts the essentially flat transparent light receiving surface of the transparent substrate;
• wherein at least 60% of the essentially flat transparent light receiving surface is occupied by the array of lenses;
• wherein the transparent electrode, the active layer, and the distal reflective electrode are continuous essentially flat layers;
• wherein the diameter of each of the multiplicity of hemisphere lenses of the array of lenses is less than the thickness of the transparent substrate;
• and
• wherein the MLA layer is configured not to focus light to a particular spot or area in the thin film solar cell.