NOVELTY - The article combining a photovoltaic cell (10) and an aid unit of interconnection substrate designed to promote facile electrical and mechanical assembly of a multiple of the articles, is claimed. The photovoltaic cell has an upwardly facing top surface electrode comprising a transparent conductive material, and a thin film semiconductor material supported on an upwardly facing surface of a self supporting metal based cell foil forming a conductive bottom surface electrode. The aid unit of interconnection substrate has a sheetlike form with a planar upwardly facing surface.    USE - Used as an article combining a photovoltaic cell and an aid unit of interconnection substrate, where the photovoltaic cell is useful in a photovoltaic semiconductor structures.    ADVANTAGE - The article combining a photovoltaic cell and an aid unit of interconnection substrate can be economically produced with improved performance, good conversion efficiencies, mass production and long-term reliability and without the need of intricate material removal operations.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The article combining a photovoltaic cell (10) and an aid unit of interconnection substrate designed to promote facile electrical and mechanical assembly of a multiple of the articles, is claimed. The photovoltaic cell has an upwardly facing top surface electrode comprising a transparent conductive material, and a thin film semiconductor material supported on an upwardly facing surface of a self supporting metal based cell foil forming a conductive bottom surface electrode. The aid unit of interconnection substrate has a sheetlike form with a planar upwardly facing surface, and comprises conductive and non-conductive materials in addition to associate with the cell structure. The article has overlapping portions of the cell and the unit such that the cell portion overlays an upwardly facing surface of a first portion of the additional conductive material of the unit and a second portion of the additional conductive material extends outside terminal edges (45, 46) of the cell and that a portion of the additional non-conductive material forms an insulating barrier positioned between the first portion of the additional conductive material and the metal based cell foil. Ohmic conductors electrically connect the upwardly facing top cell surface electrode and the first portion of the additional conductive material of the unit, and connect the upwardly facing top cell surface electrode and the second portion of the additional conductive material of the unit, and comprise an electrically conductive polymeric resin. The second extending portion of conductive material of the unit has an upwardly facing surface for establishing facile electrical connection to an electrode of another photovoltaic cell, and remains electrically unconnected to an electrode of a second cell. The conductive bottom surface of the metal based cell foil is partially exposed. The additional conductive material of the unit has a bottom surface that is partially exposed. The metal based cell foil has properties allowing a roll-to-roll manufacturing step in the production of the cells, and a thickness of greater than 10 mm, and comprises a structure of multiple metal-based layers. A portion of the additional non-conductive material of the unit is positioned to overlay an upper surface of a portion of the additional conductive material of the unit. The additional conductive material of the unit comprises an electrodeposit, and a second metal based foil having a thickness of 2-250 mm. The second metal based foil has properties to allow continuous lamination to a mating polymeric film. The additional non-conductive material of the unit comprises a material having adhesive affinity for the conductive bottom surface of the cell and the additional conductive material of the unit.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The diagram shows a top plan view of an article.    Photovoltaic cell (10)    First terminal edge (45)    Second terminal edge. (46)