NOVELTY - The substrate (12) has a textured surface comprised of a silicon-based material. The textured surface includes a set of cones (24) being uniformly distributed and being configured by etching from a top surface of the substrate using a self-assembled solder dot mask evaporated on the substrate prior to etching. The cones are uniformly distributed as a result of gettering a process chamber prior to forming the solder dot mask, where the cones include a height/width ratio of 1:4 and uniform density of 1 cone per 1 micron-1 cone per 4 microns in directions.    USE - Substrate e.g. glass substrate, silicon-based substrate and quartz substrate, for a photovoltaic device (all claimed) for a high-efficiency silicon solar cell. Can also be used for an integrated circuit chip and a light sensitive device.    ADVANTAGE - The substrate is provided with three-dimensional structures, which maximize absorption of a light spectrum and minimize reflection for high-efficiency silicon solar cells such that the three-dimensional structures can be formed by etching cone-shaped pillars, which form an absorbing surface, while providing improved absorption of incident radiation for the device in a cost-effective manner. The substrate is provided with solder or nanodot patterns that can be self-assembled relying on surface tension to form dots during an anneal process such that the substrate assists in evenly spacing later-formed solder dots and provides more size uniformity, and the spacings and sizes of the dots can be controlled to optimize manufacture and performance of the device using cone-shaped pillars formed by etching with uniformly distributed solder dots, while improving uniformly distributed self-assembled solder dot formation for high efficiency solar cells.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The substrate is formed with a continuous photovoltaic stack that includes one of amorphous silicon, micro-crystalline silicon and silicon carbide. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is also included for a photovoltaic device.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawing shows a cross-sectional view of a substrate with an electrode formed on a pin stack.    Substrate (12)    Cones (24)    Electrode layers (32, 36)    P-i-n diode stack (34)    Photovoltaic cell (100)