Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method for manufacturing highly efficient and especially thin polycrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells. More particularly, the present invention provides a silicon nucleation layer produced on amorphous substrates with a nucleation layer being selectively etched until uniformly <111> orientated nuclei remain. A silicon thin-film grown thereover is coarse-crystalline, has grain boundaries residing perpendicular to the substrate and has a pyramid structure as a consequence of the uniform orientation. High photocurrents can already be achieved with solar cells manufactured therefrom beginning with a layer thickness of 10 .mu.m.