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An ultra lightweight semiconductor device comprises a substrate electrode, a body of semiconductor material, and a top electrode, and is manufactured by a process wherein the thickness dimension of a portion of the substrate electrode is decreased so as to reduce the weight of the device. The portio

An ultra lightweight semiconductor device comprises a substrate electrode, a body of semiconductor material, and a top electrode, and is manufactured by a process wherein the thickness dimension of a portion of the substrate electrode is decreased so as to reduce the weight of the device. The portions of the device having a thick substrate serve to support and reinforce the device during processing and handling. These portions may subsequently be severed away to further reduce the weight of the device. Also disclosed are configurations of ultra lightweight semiconductor devices.

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1. A method for manufacturing a lightweight semiconductor device, said method comprising the steps of:providing a semiconductor device comprising a substrate electrode, a top electrode, and a body of semiconductor material disposed therebetween in electrical communication with said top electrode and

1. A method for manufacturing a lightweight semiconductor device, said method comprising the steps of:providing a semiconductor device comprising a substrate electrode, a top electrode, and a body of semiconductor material disposed therebetween in electrical communication with said top electrode and said substrate electrode;decreasing a thickness dimension of the substrate electrode in a first area thereof relative to a thickness dimension of the substrate electrode in a second area thereof so as to define a first and a second region of said semiconductor device wherein the thickness of the device in the first region is less than the thickness of the device in the second region; andsevering said semiconductor device so as to separate the first region from the second region. 2. The method of claim 1, including the further step of scribing said top electrode so as to define a first portion of said top electrode corresponding to said first region of said semiconductor device, and a second portion of said top electrode corresponding to said second region of said semiconductor device. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of severing said semiconductor device comprises severing said semiconductor device by cutting through said top electrode where it has been scribed. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of scribing said top electrode comprises scribing said top electrode to the use of a scribing agent selected from the group consisting of: a laser, a water jet, a chemical etchant, an abrasive, and combinations thereof. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of scribing said top electrode comprises disposing a pattern of resist material onto said semiconductor device during its fabrication, and prior to the time said top electrode is applied thereto, said resist material being operative to disrupt said top electrode. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of decreasing the thickness of said substrate electrode comprises etching said substrate electrode. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said substrate electrode comprises a metallic layer, and the step of etching said substrate electrode comprises contacting said metallic layer with an acid or an alkali. 8. The method of claim 6, wherein said substrate electrode comprises a layer of an organic, polymeric material, and the step of etching said substrate electrode comprises contacting said layer of organic, polymeric material with a solvent. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of decreasing a thickness dimension of the substrate in the first area comprises decreasing said thickness so that the thickness of said substrate in said first area is no more than 50 microns. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said substrate electrode comprises stainless steel. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein said top electrode comprises a transparent, electrically conductive electrode. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein said semiconductor body comprises a plurality of layers of thin film semiconductor material. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein said semiconductor body comprises a photovoltaic body. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein said semiconductor device is a generally planar device having a quadrilateral shape, and wherein said second region extends along at least two edges of said quadrilateral. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein said second region forms a perimeter which bounds said quadrilateral. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein subsequent processing steps are carried out on the semiconductor device prior to the step of severing. 17. A method for manufacturing a lightweight semiconductor device, said method comprising the steps of:providing a semiconductor device comprising a substrate electrode comprised of a layer of an organic polymeric material having a metallic layer thereatop, a top electrode, and a body of semiconductor material disposed therebetween in electrical communication with said top electrode and said metallic layer of said substrate electrode;decr easing a thickness dimension of the substrate electrode in a first area thereof relative to a thickness dimension of the substrate electrode in a second area thereof by an etching process which comprises contacting said layer of organic polymeric material with a solvent, so as to define a first and a second region of said semiconductor device wherein the thickness of the device in the first region is less than the thickness of the device in the second region. 18. A method for manufacturing a lightweight semiconductor device, said method comprising the steps of:providing a generally planar, quadrilaterally-shaped semiconductor device comprising a substrate electrode, a top electrode, and a body of semiconductor material disposed therebetween in electrical communication with said top electrode and said substrate electrode;decreasing a thickness dimension of the substrate electrode in a first area thereof relative to a thickness dimension of the substrate electrode in a second area thereof so as to define a first and a second region of said semiconductor device wherein the thickness of the device in the first region is less than the thickness of the device in the second region, and wherein said second region extends along at least two edges of said quadrilateral. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein said second region forms a perimeter which bounds said quadrilateral.