NOVELTY - The photovoltaic cell comprises a layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon material applied to a substrate, where the hydrogenated amorphous silicon material contains a layer of nanoparticles (62, 63) forming a composite. The nanoparticles are semiconducting nanocrystals, fullerene, nanotube and nanorod, and have functionalized with an organic compound such as a heteroaryl group, a polymer or an alkyl group. The amorphous silicon is compressed anisotropically, and is a layer on a flexible substrate, which is flexed before or after deposition of the layer to impart a strain on the layer.    USE - The photovoltaic cell is useful for mitigating Staebler-Wronski effect in amorphous silicon.    ADVANTAGE - The photovoltaic cell effectively mitigates the Staebler-Wronski effect and reduces the degradation in performance of photoconductivity in amorphous silicon.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The photovoltaic cell comprises a layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon material applied to a substrate, where the hydrogenated amorphous silicon material contains a layer of nanoparticles (62, 63) forming a composite. The nanoparticles are semiconducting nanocrystals, fullerene, nanotube and nanorod, and have functionalized with an organic compound such as a heteroaryl group, a polymer or an alkyl group. The amorphous silicon is compressed anisotropically, and is a layer on a flexible substrate, which is flexed before or after deposition of the layer to impart a strain on the layer. The amorphous silicon contains nanoscale topological features to relieve stress in the bond network of the amorphous silicon. The topological features are 1-20 nm, are holes, dimples, pillars, grooves or hills, and are formed by depositing nanoscale particles on the substrate between the substrate and the amorphous silicon layer such that the amorphous silicon layer contains an irregular under surface. The substrate comprises a patterned substrate having nanopores of 1-20 nm in diameter. The hydrogenated amorphous silicon material is present in the nanopores and subjected to anisoptopic strain by depositing it into the nanopores. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a method of making a photovoltaic cell.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The diagram shows a schematic view of a photovoltaic cell with amorphous silicon.    Nanoparticles (62, 63)    Transparent layer (64)    Bottom electrode (66)    Silicon hydrogen layer. (68)