The effect of an increase in the efficiency of solar cells (SCs) (in particular, common silicon SCs) by their immersion in an isotropic liquid dielectric is described. The presence of a dielectric thin film results in an increase in the SCs efficiency by 40-60% from the reference value. The current-voltage characteristic, fill factor and other characteristics of SCs are analyzed. The mechanisms of the increase in the efficiency of SCs are discussed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.