Shadow Mask Methods For Manufacturing Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional thin-film solar cell, comprising:

• forming a three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate by the steps of:
• forming a sacrificial layer on a template, said template comprising a template substrate, said template substrate comprising a plurality of three-dimensional surface features;
• subsequently depositing a semiconductor layer;
• selectively etching said sacrificial layer;
• and
• releasing said semiconductor layer from said template;
• doping select portions of said three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate with a first dopant;
• doping select portions of said three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate with a second dopant;
• and
• forming selective emitter metallization regions and selective base metallization regions using a PECVD shadow mask process.