This study presents a description of the enhancement of light absorption in thin-film silicon (Si) solar cells by using sculptured titania (TiO(2)) films. We used an electron-beam evaporation system with a glancing angle deposition (GLAD) method to deposit porous TiO(2) films on fluorine-doped SnO(2) (FTO) substrates. The GLAD TiO(2)/FTO films were used as conductive electrodes in hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (mu c-Si:H) solar cells. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the GLAD TiO(2) films are composed of sculptured nano-pillars on an FTO surface, and this nanostructure provides a synergistic route for light scattering enhancement. The GLAD TiO(2)/FTO exhibited a 68% improvement of optical haze (at lambda=600 nm). The mu c-Si:H solar cells consisting of the GLAD-nanostructured TiO(2) resulted in a 5% improvement of short-circuit current (J(sc)) and yielded a cell efficiency of 6.6%. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.