TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Component: The solar cell is formed on a semiconductor substrate (1a) having a generally rectangular main surface with each side being at least 10 cm and having a thickness of less than 350 micrometer. The reinforcing material is cured after injection into cracks, flaws and/or chips included in the cell. It is made of baked silver, and is transparent. An interconnector for adjacent cells can be connected to the reinforcing material. The reinforcing or buffering material is provided to a portion that contacts a jig for positioning and handling the cell to be included in a solar battery module in a production process of the solar battery module. The reinforcing material is patterned to reduce stress due to difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the reinforcing material and the substrate as a temperature changes in an environment where the cell is used. It is a material of which quality does not alter even at a solder temperature in a dip soldering step of the cell. It is a glass material prepared by applying a solution including powdered glass dissolved in a solvent and volatilizing the solvent followed by baking. It includes a plate joined to the cell by soldering or welding; and a comb-teeth pattern. The plate is an aluminum plate or a mesh aluminum plate. The aluminum plate is jointed to the back surface of the cell with baked print aluminum paste. A collector electrode is formed with baked silver on the front surface of the cell. It is formed except for a peripheral edge portion on the back surface of the cell. A connection electrode is formed with baked silver on the back surface of the cell. The reinforcing material of the baked silver is formed on the peripheral edge portion of the collector electrode. The reinforcing material is formed at least 0.5 mm away from the peripheral edge of the cell. It is not continuous along an entire periphery of the back surface of the cell, and is provided with at least one discontinuity. The discontinuity is provided at both end portions of one side of the cell. It is formed diagonally, relative to one side of the cell. The interconnector is connected to both of the backside connection electrode and the reinforcing material.Preferred Method: The method includes pulling up the rectangular cell in a direction approximately along its diagonal after dip soldering for coating the collector electrode on the front surface of the cell, the connection electrode on the back surface and the reinforcing material with a solder layer.Preferred Property: The reinforcing material has a width of at most 4 mm, or a width made larger in a region where the interconnector is connected.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Material: The reinforcing material and/or buffering material includes glass, epoxy resin, acrylic resin, EVA resin, silicon resin, baked silver, glass fiber, carbon fiber, metal plate, ceramic plate and/or resin plate.