NOVELTY - An apparatus (10) for the manufacture of flexible, thin film photovoltaic cells, comprises a flexible manufacturing fixture (14) that is configured to move between manufacturing stations, where the flexible manufacturing fixture configured to releasably retain a superstrate layer such that the flexible fixture is adapted to be reusable to receive a second superstrate layer, the manufacturing stations are configured to form layers of a thin-film photovoltaic cell (PV) (12) on the superstrate layer such that the layers are in communication to form functional PV cells.    USE - As apparatus for manufacturing flexible, thin film photovoltaic cells (claimed) for powering instruments and appliances that operate on DC power, off-grid; in ground-mounted installation; in large office buildings for reducing solar heating and producing power for interior lighting, electronics, and conditioning of the office space; in military rapid deployment situations, e.g. for battery charging; and in space and for high-altitude airships e.g. blimps; in micro-inverters.    ADVANTAGE - The apparatus manufactures a flexible diode such as a photovoltaic (PV) cell that has a superstrate layer with high transparency and low solar radiation absorption and that assembled economically and in high volume.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - An apparatus (10) for the manufacture of flexible, thin film photovoltaic cells, comprises a flexible manufacturing fixture (14) that is configured to move between manufacturing stations, where the flexible manufacturing fixture configured to releasably retain a superstrate layer such that the flexible fixture is adapted to be reusable to receive a second superstrate layer, the manufacturing stations are configured to form layers of a thin-film photovoltaic cell (PV) (12) on the superstrate layer such that the layers are in communication to form functional PV cells, where the stations comprises a first station configured to form a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer onto the superstrate layer; a second station configured to form a first active semiconductor layer; and a third station configured to form a second active semiconductor layer; and a removal station configured to separate at least a semi-finished photovoltaic cell from the flexible fixture such that the formed photovoltaic layers maintain their applied relative physical orientations with adjacent layers. The flexible manufacturing fixture is a stainless steel foil. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for following:    (1) a flexible, thin-film photovoltaic cell comprising a transparent conductive oxide layer forming a first electrical contact; a back contact layer forming a second electrical contact; an n-type active semiconductor layer; a p-type active semiconductor layer that is in contact with the n-type layer such that an electrical potential is formed from exposure to a light source; and a superstrate layer formed from a flexible material that is at least semi-transparent, where the superstrate layer having a characteristic imparted onto an outermost surface from a flexible manufacturing fixture, the fixture-imparted characteristic effecting electrical performance of the n-type and p-type active semiconductor layers; and    (2) producing a flexible, thin-film photovoltaic cell involving providing a flexible manufacturing fixture configured to be moved between photovoltaic assembly operations, where the flexible fixture is configured to releasably retain layers of at least a semi-finished photovoltaic cell during assembly; applying a flexible superstrate layer onto the flexible manufacturing fixture; forming subsequent layers of the semi-finished photovoltaic cell onto the superstrate layer; and removing the semi-finished photovoltaic cell from the flexible fixture such that the subsequent layers of the semi-finished photovoltaic cell are configured to function to produce an electrical output.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows view of process for making a photovoltaic cell.    Apparatus (10)    Photovoltaic cell (12)    Fixture (14)    Pay-out spool (15)    Polymer-fixture laminate (22)