NOVELTY - A method of combining transparent nanopatterned metallic structures or thin-film as contacts or electrodes to create organic or inorganic photovoltaic subcells or multijunction stacks, involves spectrally or optically tuning at least subcells or multijunction stacks; enhancing absorption properties through the conductivity of transparent metal contacts; and engineering the resulting structures to incorporate all the features and functions required to operate independently as a solar cell, and depositing on or combining with any substrate.    USE - For combining transparent nanopatterned metallic structures or thin-film as contacts or electrodes to create organic or inorganic photovoltaic subcells or multijunction stacks used in solar cells (claimed); to manipulate light for photovoltaic effects.    ADVANTAGE - The nanostructured metallic coatings on solar cell substrates improve electrical output and overall performance. The coatings can be processed using either of commercial or customized deposition techniques, tools and equipment. The method allows any metallic, organic, inorganic, nonmetallic, metalloorganic, metamaterials, nanostructures, microstructures, nanopatterned structures or nanoengineered materials to be included in coatings. The nanostructured metallo-dielectric coatings boost the efficiency of solar harvesting devices (Photovoltaic and Thermal); effectively reduce back-reflection of light over a broad wavelength range; promote forward scattering of light into oblique directions that more strongly interact with the active medium such as waveguide modes in thin solar cells; and enable light concentration in those regions of the cell where light absorption most efficiently produces current, e.g. in the pn-junction or near a donor acceptor interface. The total thickness and composition of the coating is optimized to reduce back-reflection of light over a broad wavelength range, where at least subwavelength metallic nanostructures can enable local light concentration and scattering into oblique angles for coupling into waveguide modes.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for method of simulation, optimization and design for the net overall absorption of a thin film solar cell over the entire solar spectrum.