TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The absorber layer includes inorganic materials consisting of titania, nanocrystalline titania, zinc oxide, copper oxide (CuO or Cu2O or CuxOy), zirconium oxide, lanthanum oxide, niobium oxide, tin oxide, indium oxide, indium tin oxide, vanadium oxide, molybdenum oxide, tungsten oxide, strontium oxide, calcium/titanium oxide and other oxides, sodium titanate, potassium niobate, cadmium selenide, cadmium sulfide, copper sulfide, cadmium telluride, cadmium-tellurium selenide, copper-indium selenide, cadmium oxide (CdOx), copper iodide, copper sulfur cyanide, and/or a semiconductive material. The barrier layer comprises chromium, vanadium, tungsten, tantalum nitride, tungsten nitride, titanium nitride, zirconium nitride, hafnium nitride or silicon nitride.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The absorber layer includes organic materials consisting of a conjugated polymer, poly(phenylene), poly(phenylene vinylene), poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene), poly(para-phenylene vinylene), para-phenylene vinylene copolymers, poly(thiophene), poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regioregular poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regiorandom poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regioregular, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regiorandom poly(thienylenevinylene), poly(isothianaphthene), 2,2'7,7'tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenyl-amine)-9,9'-spirobifluorene, organometallic polymers, polymers containing perylene units, poly(squaraines), discotic liquid crystals, organic pigments or dyes, a ruthenium-based dye, a liquid iodide/triiodide electrolyte, azo-dyes having azo chromofores (N=N) linking aromatic groups, phthalocyanines including metal-free phthalocyanine, hydroxypropyl cellulose, perylenes, perylene derivatives, copper pthalocyanines, zinc pthalocyanines, naphthalocyanines, squaraines, merocyanines, poly(silanes), poly(germinates), 2,9-di(pent-3-yl)-anthra(2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d'e'f')diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10-tetrone, and 2,9-bis-(1-hexyl-hept-1-yl)-anthra(2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d'e'f')diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10-tetrone and pentacene, pentacene derivatives and/or pentacene precursors, an N-type ladder polymer, and/or poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline ladder).