TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRONICS - Preferred Method: The method further comprises: forming a conductive index matching layer (118) over the first p-i-n junction; forming a second transparent conductive oxide layer on the conductive index matching layer; forming a second p-i-n junction (136) between the first p-i-n junction and the conductive index matching layer; forming an antireflection coating layer on a second surface of the substrate, where the index of refraction of the formed antireflection coating layer is less than the index of refraction of the substrate; and forming a barrier layer between the first surface of the substrate and the first transparent conductive oxide layer. The step of forming the second p-i-n junction comprises: forming a p-doped microcrystalline silicon layer over the n-type microcrystalline silicon layer; forming an intrinsic type microcrystalline silicon layer over the p-type microcrystalline silicon layer; and forming an n-type on the intrinsic type microcrystalline silicon layer. The step of forming the first p-i-n junction further comprises: forming an intrinsic type amorphous silicon layer between a p-type amorphous silicon layer and an n-type microcrystalline silicon carbide layer (134); forming an interface barrier layer between the p-type amorphous silicon layer and the intrinsic type amorphous silicon layer, where the interface barrier layer is a silicon carbide layer. The intrinsic type amorphous silicon layer is formed by: providing a gas mixture to the surface of the substrate in a processing chamber, where the gas mixture includes a ratio of a hydrogen gas to a silane gas less than 6; controlling a substrate temperature at 220-250 degrees C; and controlling a process pressure in the processing chamber at 1-2 Torr. Preferred Components: The n-type microcrystalline silicon layer comprises silicon and carbon. The conductive index matching layer comprises a material that has an index of refraction which is less than the index of refraction of the second transparent conductive oxide layer, and the second transparent conductive oxide layer is disposed on the conductive index matching layer. The conductive contact layer is a niobium doped titanium oxide layer formed in a physical vapor deposition chamber. The first conductive index matching layer comprises silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride, silicon oxycarbide, silicon oxycarbon nitride or indium tin oxide. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.