NOVELTY - A flexible spacer between insulator substrate and back plate prevents substrate from being damaged. The spacer enables a point contact to be maintained between conductive layer and the substrate. The electric charge transferred from charged particles to the conductive layer on the substrate can be released to the earth via conductive holder.    USE - The method is used for forming thin-film photoelectric conversion devices.    ADVANTAGE - The sputter-deposition method is capable of preventing a conductive layer from being charged up and thus discharging when a film including at least one such conductive layer is formed on an insulator substrate. The solar battery has a peripheral edge region with an improved appearance. The photoelectric conversion device having a silver-containing back electrode layer has improved stability and reliability.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Sputter deposition method which involves depositing a film including at least one layer of conductive material on an insulator substrate comprises:    (a) preparing a conductive substrate holder in the form of a frame which has an opening at its center and is electrically grounded;    (b) positioning the substrate to cover the opening of the holder;    (c) arranging a flexible spacer on the peripheral edge of the substrate, and superposing a back plate on the spacer to press the substrate against the holder via the spacer;    (d) pressing and fixing the back plate to the holder; and    (e) sputtering a separately provided target to deposit a new layer on a region of the substrate exposed in the opening of the holder.    INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for the following:    (i) an integrated thin-film solar battery; and    (ii) a thin-film photoelectric conversion cell.    The integrated thin-film solar battery includes a stacked-layer body comprising a transparent electrode layer, a semiconductor layer and a back metal electrode layer successively deposited on a transparent insulator substrate. At least a part of the stacked-layer body is divided into a set of photoelectric conversion cells which are electrically interconnected. The deposited metal electrode layer's region has a peripheral edge slightly inward by predetermined distance of any peripheral edge of the deposited semiconductor layer's region.    The thin-film photoelectric conversion cell has a transparent electrode, a photoelectric conversion unit of semiconductor and a silver-containing back electrode successively stacked on a transparent insulator substrate. The back electrode has not only its upper surface but also its side surface covered with an inorganic protection film containing one of the following: a noble metal stable against air and water, a base metal forming a passive-state film in the atmosphere; and an oxide stable against air and water.