NOVELTY - Thin-film solar cell comprises a stacked-layered light-absorbing structure comprising: substrate having a first surface (222) and second surface (236); conducting material (204) having first and second surfaces; reflecting element (206) having first and second surfaces; dielectric having first and second surfaces; semiconducting material having first and second surfaces, where the semiconducting material comprises copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS); first transparent material having first and second surfaces; and transparent conducting material having first and second surfaces.    USE - The thin-film solar cell is useful as a module.    ADVANTAGE - The thin-film solar cell exhibits improved performance characteristics including reduced absorber thickness and reduced back surface recombination, thus providing improved reflectance.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Thin-film solar cell comprises a stacked-layered light-absorbing structure comprising: a substrate having a first surface (222) and a second surface (236); a conducting material (204) having a first surface and a second surface, where the conducting material is deposited on the substrate so that the first surface of the conducting material is in contact with the second surface of the substrate; a reflecting element (206) having a first surface and a second surface, where the reflecting element is deposited on the substrate so that the first surface of the reflecting element is in contact with the second surface of the conducting material; a dielectric having a first surface and a second surface, where the dielectric is deposited on the reflecting layer so that the first surface of the dielectric is in contact with the second surface of the reflecting element; a semiconducting material having a first surface and a second surface, where the semiconducting material is deposited on the dielectric so that the first surface of the semiconducting material is in contact with the second surface of the dielectric and fills at least one aperture formed within the reflecting element and the dielectric, where the semiconducting material comprises copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS); a first transparent material having a first surface and a second surface, where the transparent material is deposited on the semiconducting material so that the first surface of the transparent material is in contact with the second surface of the semiconducting material; and a transparent conducting material having a first surface and a second surface, where the transparent conducting material is deposited on the transparent material so that the first surface of the transparent conducting material is in contact with the second surface of the transparent material. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for:    (1) manufacturing the stacked-layered thin film solar cell, comprising depositing a conducting layer on a substrate, including placing a first side of the conducting layer in physical contact with a first side of the substrate, depositing a reflective layer on the conducting layer, including placing a first side of the reflective layer in physical contact with a second side of the conducting layer, depositing a dielectric on the reflective layer, including placing a first side of the dielectric in physical contact with a second side of the reflective layer, coating a second side of the dielectric with a UV curable polymer, structuring the polymer layer, etching through the dielectric and into the reflective material, depositing a layer of CIGS on the dielectric, including placing a first side of the CIGS in physical contact with a second side of the dielectric, where the CIGS fills an aperture formed in the dielectric and reflective layer, depositing a first transparent layer on the CIGS, including placing a first side of the transparent layer in physical contact with a second side of the CIGS, and depositing a second transparent layer having conductive properties on the first transparent layer, including placing a first side of the second transparent layer in physical contact with a second side of the first transparent layer; and    (2) a solar cell, prepared by a process comprising etching a first aperture into a second side of a reflective layer and a second aperture into a second side of a dielectric layer (208), where the first and second apertures form a third aperture, a first side of the dielectric layer is in contact with a body, and the body comprises a substrate having a first side and a second side, and a first conducting material layer having a first side and a second side, where the first side of the first conducting material is in contact with the second side of the substrate, filling the third aperture with a layer of CIGS having a first side and a second side, where the first side of the CIGS is in contact with the first conductive layer of the dielectric within the third aperture and covers the second side of the dielectric layer and the second side of the CIGS is in contact with a first side of a first transparent layer, and depositing a second transparent layer with a first side and a second side on the first transparent layer, including the first side of second transparent layer in contact with a second side of the first transparent layer, where the second transparent layer is a conducting material.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a block diagram of the thin-film solar cell.    Conducting material (204)    Reflecting element (206)    Dielectric layer (208)    First surface (222)    Second surface (236)