NOVELTY - The method comprises arranging a semi-finished product (10) with a rigid carrier substrate (12) onto a reception, introducing the semi-finished product in a deposition chamber with a deposition device, bringing a masking device with a strand-like masking agent (30a, 30b), which is present in a longitudinal direction under prestress, onto a surface of the semi-finished product turned to the deposition device, and partially shading the surface of the semi-finished product using the masking device against the deposition device for structuring a material layer to be deposited.    USE - Method for manufacturing serially switched thin-film solar cells.    ADVANTAGE - The method is capable of economically and rapidly manufacturing the serially switched thin-film solar cells with light-weight and high quality.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The method comprises arranging a semi-finished product (10) with a rigid carrier substrate (12) onto a reception, introducing the semi-finished product in a deposition chamber with a deposition device, bringing a masking device with a strand-like masking agent (30a, 30b), which is present in a longitudinal direction under prestress, onto a surface of the semi-finished product turned to the deposition device, partially shading the surface of the semi-finished product using the masking device against the deposition device for structuring a material layer to be deposited, depositing the material layer on the semi-finished product, and removing the masking device from the surface of the semi-finished product. The strand-like masking agent contains filaments (32, 34) lying on each other. The carrier substrate consists of glass, glass ceramic material, wafer, plastic or metal. The semi-finished product is convexly bulged in relation to the deposition device. The strand-like masking agent carries out a relative movement against the semi-finished product in the longitudinal direction of the masking agent during the deposition of the material layer, is continuously or quasi-continuously fed and discharged in the longitudinal direction, is guided with a guide roller or is directed by a centering unit, and is loaded in vertical to the surface of the semi-finished product by a holding down device transverse to its longitudinal direction. The holding down device has the guide roller and the centering unit. The strand-like masking agent is prestressed in the longitudinal direction by a spring. Several material layers are deposited on the semi-finished product under the utilization of the deposition chambers. The masking agent is displaced between the deposition of the material layers onto the surface of the semi-finished product transverse to its longitudinal direction to allow contact or separation of determined material layers. The deposition of the material layers and the displacement of the masking agent take place in process gas atmosphere or in vacuum. The displacement of the masking agent takes place in a separate displacement chamber. A transfer takes placer between the deposition and displacement steps, in which the semi-finished product is exposed to the process gas atmosphere or vacuum. The contaminants or residues of the deposited material layers are removed from the masking device by an etching process. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a device for manufacturing serially switched thin-film solar cells.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The diagram shows a schematic representation of layer structures of a semi-finished product.    Semi-finished product (10)    Carrier substrate (12)    Masking agent (30a, 30b)    Filaments. (32, 34)