NOVELTY - The method comprises depositing a sequence of layers of semiconductor material on a growth substrate to form a solar cell, applying a coating layer (124a) over the sequence of layers, curing the coating layer, applying an adhesive layer over the coating layer, attaching a surrogate substrate (125) to the adhesive layer by grinding, etching, or epitaxial lift-off, and removing the semiconductor growth substrate. The coating layer is applied by spinning-on, spraying, and/or brushing, and has a thickness of 20 microns. The coating layer is cured by baking and/or ultraviolet light exposure.    USE - The method is useful for manufacturing a flexible thin film solar cell (claimed) such as photovoltaic device, which is useful for space applications and terrestrial solar power applications.    ADVANTAGE - The method is capable of easily and economically manufacturing the flexible solar cell with lightweight, increased power and energy conversion efficiencies, enhanced radiation resistance, high solar concentration and improved current and voltage characteristics, reduces interface recombination loss at the backside of the solar cell, and minimizes threading dislocations from propagating in the active regions of the solar cell.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The method comprises depositing a sequence of layers of semiconductor material on a growth substrate to form a solar cell, applying a coating layer (124a) over the sequence of layers, curing the coating layer, applying an adhesive layer over the coating layer, attaching a surrogate substrate (125) to the adhesive layer by grinding, etching or epitaxial lift-off, and removing the semiconductor growth substrate. The coating layer is applied by spinning-on, spraying and/or brushing, and has a thickness of 20 microns. The coating layer is cured by baking and/or ultraviolet light exposure so that the layer is chemically and thermally inert to subsequent processing. The layers of semiconductor material are made of III-V compound semiconductors. The growth substrate is subsequently removed so that the sequence of layers comprises a thin film supported on the supporting coating layer. The method further comprises depositing grid electrodes on the surface of the layers of semiconductor material to form a top surface of the solar cell, attaching a glass supporting member to the top surface of the solar cell, applying a metal contact layer (123) over the sequence of layers, and applying a supporting coating layer directly over the metal contact layer. The deposition of the sequence of layers of semiconductor material includes forming a first solar subcell on the substrate having a first band gap, forming a second solar subcell over the first subcell having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap, forming a grading interlayer over the second subcell having a third band gap larger than the second band gap, and forming a third solar subcell having a fourth band gap smaller than the second band gap such that the third subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to the second subcell. The first solar subcell is made of an indium gallium aluminum phosphide emitter region and an indium gallium aluminum phosphide base region. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a flexible thin film solar cell.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of a solar cell.    Metal contact layer (123)    Coating layer (124a)    Bonding layer (124b)    Surrogate substrate (125)    Antireflective layer (130)    Grid lines. (501)