NOVELTY - The cell/photodetector has a silicon substrate including a surface to incident radiation to be textured to provide internal Lambertian diffusive reflective scattering of infrared light wavelengths. An anti-reflective layer is formed at the surface of the substrate, where the layer is transparent to the visible light and infrared light wavelengths of incident radiation. A reflecting layer is formed adjacent to another surface of the substrate such that the infrared light wavelengths are returned by the reflecting layer toward the former textured surface and into the substrate.    USE - Semiconductor solar cell/photodetector e.g. thin film microcrystalline silicon solar cell such as textured amorphous silicon, microcrystalline-amorphous silicon thin film n-i-p heterojunction solar cell/photodetector, for use in a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imager and a charge coupled device (CCD) imager.    ADVANTAGE - The cell/photodetector has a thin oxide layer that is grown or deposited, or a deposited dielectric and a substrate backside that is covered by reflective metal to form a random array of cusp like scattering centers on the back of silicon solar cells, so that regular arrays are formed by using self-assembly features of metal catalyst etchants. The cell/photodetector utilizes less expensive microcrystalline silicon solar cells and backside texturing with diffusive scattering to provide large increase in absorption of infrared light, where the solar cells are constructed with smooth front surface so as to provide multiple internal reflections, light trapping and large enhancement of absorption of infrared solar energy, thus improving an effective absorption efficiency and an energy conversion efficiency of the cell/photodetector.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The silicon substrate is single crystalline silicon substrate or multi-crystalline silicon substrate or wafer.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawing shows a schematic view illustrating effect of scattering by a regular array of cusps and random arrangement of cusps.    Random array of dots (1020)