TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The dielectric layer comprises silicon dioxide, silicon nitride (SiNx), silicon oxynitride (SiONx) , silicon carbide and/or aluminum oxide. The first metal layer comprises aluminum. The contact metal layer is formed by plating with nickel, copper, tin and/or silver. The contact metal layer comprises aluminum or an aluminum alloy.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: A dielectric layer is formed over the semiconductor surface by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) followed by a forming gas anneal, and has a thickness of 10-20 nm, 20-30 nm, 30-40 nm, 40-50 nm, 50-60 nm, 60-70 nm,70-80 nm, or 80-85 nm. The porous metal-oxide layer: is formed over the dielectric layer; is etched to enlarge the pores forming the array of openings through the porous metal-oxide layer before the formation of the contact metal layer; is etched further before application of the contact metal layer to ensure that any barrier layer oxide is removed from the semiconductor surface at the base of the openings of the array of openings through the porous metal-oxide layer; and comprises impressing the surface of the first metal layer with a die, which creates dimples at each of the desired locations. The semiconductor surface has a depth of 1-8 mu m, 2-5 mu m, 1-2 mu m, 2-3 mu m, 3-4 mu m, 4-5 mu m, 5-6 mu m, 6-7 mu m, or 7-8 mu m. The step of heating of the metal contact layer: is controlled to limit contact of the contact metal layer with the semiconductor surface to only through those pores located at or adjacent to peaks or ridges of the texturing of the semiconductor surface; comprises sintering contact metal layer at a temperature of 400-500 degrees C for 10-15 mins; and comprises firing of the contact metal layer at a peak temperature of 650- 820 degrees C, 650- 670 degrees C, 670-690 degrees C, 690-710 degrees C, 710-730 degrees C, 730-750 degrees C, 750-770 degrees C, 770-790 degrees C, 790-810 degrees C, 810-820 degrees C for 1-2 seconds, 2-3 seconds, 3 - 4 seconds, 4-5 seconds, 5-6 seconds, 6-7 seconds, 7-8 seconds, 8-9 seconds, 9-10 seconds, 10-12 seconds, 12-15 seconds, 15-20 seconds, 20-25 seconds, 25-30 seconds, 30-35 seconds, 35-40 seconds, 40-45 seconds, 45-50 seconds, 50-55 seconds, 55-60 seconds at the peak temperature. The metal layer is sintered before the step of anodizing the first metal layer to form the porous metal-oxide layer. The step of pre-processing the first metal layer comprises point-wise deposition of a fluid using an inkjet or aerosol jet printer. The fluid creates a defect, indentation or weakness at each of the desired locations. An etchant is deposited to form depressions in the first metal layer at desired locations of the pores. An average pore spacing is less than or equal to 100 mu m. The deposited first metal layer is anodized for 3-30 mins, 3-4 mins, 4-5 mins, 5-6 mins, 6-7 mins, 7-8 mins, 8-9 mins, 9-10 mins, 10-11 mins, 11-12 mins, 12-13 mins, 13-14 mins, 14-15 mins, 15-16 mins, 16-17 mins, 17-18 mins, 18-19 mins, 19-20 mins, 20-21 mins, 21-22 mins, 22-23 mins, 23-24 mins, 24-25 mins, 25-26 mins, 26-27 mins, 27-28 mins, 28-29 mins, or 29-30 mins; is sintered for 25-35 mins at 350-450 degrees C before anodization. A thickness of the first metal layer is 0.2-1 mu m, 0.2-0.5 mu m, 0.1-0.2 mu m, 0.2-0.3 mu m, 0.3-0.4 mu m, 0.4-0.5 mu m, 0.5-0.6 mu m, 0.6-0.7 mu m, 0.7-0.8 mu m, 0.8-0.9 mu m, or 0.9-1.05 mu m. An etching of the anodized first metal layer is performed after the anodizing step, and is performed until the pores are 450-550 nm in diameter. The contact metal layer: is deposited into the pores and over the entire surface of the porous metal-oxide layer using sputtering, e-beam evaporation, thermal evaporation and/or screen printing; is formed in the openings and over the entire surface of the porous metal-oxide layer by metal plating; and is sintered at a temperature higher than the metal-semiconductor eutectic temperature to diffuse the contact metal into the semiconductor surface such that a metal-semiconductor alloy is formed at the base of the pores. A thickness of the contact metal layer is 1-2 mu m, 2-3 mu m, or 3-4 mu m between the pores. After deposition the contact metal layer, the contact metal layer is sintered at a temperature of 400-650 degrees C, 400-500 degrees C, 400-450 degrees C, 450-500 degrees C, 500-550 degrees C, 550-600 degrees C, or 600-650 degrees C and is sintered for 1-15 mins, 1-2 mins, 2-3 mins, 3-4 mins, 4-5 mins, 5-6 mins, 6-7 mins, 7-8 mins, 8-9 mins, 9-10 mins, 10-11 mins, 11-12 mins, 12-13 mins, 13-14 mins, or 14-15 mins. Before formation of the contact metal layer and Before the anodization step, the semiconductor surface is exposed to dopant atoms of a same dopant polarity as a semiconductor material of the semiconductor surface, where the semiconductor material of the semiconductor surface under the openings in the porous metal-oxide layer become more heavily-doped than semiconductor material in a surrounding semiconductor surface. The semiconductor material of the semiconductor surface becomes more heavily-doped than semiconductor material beneath the semiconductor surface.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The acid consists of sulfuric acid (0.3 M), oxalic acid and/or phosphoric acid (1-10 wt.%).