Wide angle three-dimensional solar cells

A three dimensional solar cell comprising:

• a semiconductor body having a substantially flat bottom surface, and having a plurality of arrayed shaped trenches formed along a top side of the semiconductor body opposite the bottom surface, the semiconductor body forming a pillar between each neighboring shaped trench, such that the semiconductor body has a plurality of arrayed pillars extending toward the top side of the semiconductor body;
• and
• a light collecting material filling the plurality of arrayed shaped trenches along the top side of the semiconductor body and forming a substantially flat light receiving top surface substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the semiconductor body, each of the plurality of arrayed pillars having sidewalls contacting the light collecting transparent material;
• wherein each of a set of at least some of the plurality of trenches are structured such that for each of the pillars in the set of pillars, there exists at least one point on the substantially flat light receiving surface that if a light ray is incident on that point, the light ray, if remaining within the corresponding trench, as opposed to entering the semiconductor body, will be redirected upwards at least after a third reflection on neighboring pillars.