Experimental investigation combined with computer modeling is used for analysis of light scattering process in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells deposited on textured glass/ZnO:Al substrates. Descriptive scattering parameters-haze and angular distribution functions (ADFs)-for the textured ZnO:Al films with different surface roughness are determined. The haze parameters of all internal interfaces in the a-Si:H solar cells are calculated using equations of scalar scattering theory calibrated on the measurements of the substrates. The ADFs determined for the substrates are modified and applied to the internal interfaces. The scattering parameters are incorporated in our optical model and used to simulate the effect of the ZnO:Al surface roughness on the quantum efficiency (QE) of the solar cells. The simulations reproduce the measured QE of all solar cells with different roughness of the substrate very well. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.