TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Components: The light energy conversion layer produces charge carriers in the form of photon-excited electrons or photon-excited charge carrier holes which are ballistically transported by the conducting layer to the charge separation layer. The light energy conversion layer comprises photosensitive structures embedded in the conducting layer. The conducting layer is semi-transparent. The conducting layer and charge separation layer define a Schottky barrier, a tunnel junction or a metal-insulator-semiconductor junction. The charge separation layer comprises semiconductor, preferably inorganic semiconductor. It may comprise an insulator deposited on metal or semiconductor. Alternatively, the multilayer solid-state device comprises (i) a light-energy conversion layer containing photosensitive members, an ultrathin two-sided electrically conducting front contact layer having a first side secured to the light-energy conversion layer, a two-sided semiconductor charge separation layer having one side secured to a second side of front contact layer and an electroconductive metal back contact secured to a second side of charge separation layer, where the front contact layer ballistically transports electrical energy from the light-energy conversion layer to the charge separation layer; or (ii) a light-energy conversion layer, a two-sided front conducting layer having a first side secured to the light-energy conversion layer secured, a two-sided charge separation layer having a first side secured to a second side of front conducting layer and a two-sided back conducting layer having a first side secured to a second side of charge separation layer. The front contact layer is transparent. It may be an ultrathin metal film layer having a thickness of 0.5-1,000 nm. The front contact layer and semiconductor charge separation layer define a Schottky barrier or a metal-insulator-semiconductor junction or a p-type semiconductor/n-type semiconductor junction which maximizes output power. The front conducting layer may comprise photoexcitable molecular species or absorbing nanostructures which enable charge carriers to be ballistically transported from the light-energy conversion layer to the charge separation layer. The charge separation layer comprises a semiconductor of predetermined type, and the device may include a semiconductor of opposite predetermined type positioned between the charge separation layer and conducting layer to provide an increased barrier height and photovoltage. The metal back contact comprises an ohmic contact. The back conducting layer is an ohmic conducting layer.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Materials: The conducting layer is formed from metal or metal oxide conductor. The front contact layer is formed from gold or platinum, or metal oxide. The semiconductor charge-separation layer is formed from titanium dioxide, tantalum oxide or tungsten oxide.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Materials: The conducting layer is formed from metal or metal oxide conductor. The front contact layer is formed from gold or platinum, or metal oxide. The semiconductor charge-separation layer is formed from titanium dioxide, tantalum oxide or tungsten oxide.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Materials: The conducting layer may be formed from non-metal, preferably conducting or semiconducting polymer. The front contact layer may be formed from non-metal conductor.