NOVELTY - The method comprises forming a flexible encapsulant film protecting a photovoltaic cell (212) from environmental exposure damage, and incorporating hydrophobic groups into polymer precursors used for self-assembly of nanolaminate layers. The encapsulant film is formed using a non-vacuum process to self-assemble the nanolaminate layers over the cell, and includes beads present during self-assembly of the nanolaminate layers. The self-assembly in the presence of the beads creates each of the nanolaminate layers having randomly distributed pinholes that define tortuous paths.    USE - The method is useful for manufacturing photovoltaic devices such as solar cells or light-emitting devices such as LEDs.    ADVANTAGE - The method is capable of efficiently, flexibly and economically manufacturing the photovoltaic devices with high power density and improved durability, performance and productivity.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The method comprises forming a flexible encapsulant film protecting a photovoltaic cell (212) from environmental exposure damage, and incorporating hydrophobic groups into polymer precursors used for self-assembly of nanolaminate layers. The encapsulant film is formed using a non-vacuum process to self-assemble the nanolaminate layers over the cell, and includes beads present during self-assembly of the nanolaminate layers. The self-assembly in the presence of the beads creates each of the nanolaminate layers having randomly distributed pinholes that define tortuous paths leading to the beads in the nanolaminate layers. The step of forming the film comprises combining an alkoxide, an alcohol, and water dilute hydrochloric acid into a mixture and heating the mixture, introducing a coupling agent to the mixture and a surfactant to the mixture in a quantity sufficient that an initial surfactant concentration is below a critical micelle concentration, adding to the mixture of polymer precursors suitable for the formation of a polymer, adding a cross-linker agent and an initiator to the mixture, coating a substrate with the mixture and allowing the alcohol to evaporate so that a sol forms a film having alternating organic and inorganic layers. The beads are made of a silica containing material, have a higher density than 1.7 g/cc and portions of the nanolaminate layers formed concentrically about each of the beads, and are sized of 1 nm to 10 microns. The nanolaminate layers: formed concentrically about each of the beads alternate between layers of inorganic material and layers of organic material; are templated-nanolaminate layers that define the tortuous paths from an outside of the nanolaminate layers towards the beads; and are templated-nanolaminate layers to drive contaminants penetrating an outer surface of the nanolaminate layers towards the beads, where contaminant molecules are trapped when the molecules reach the bead and are not exit out. The tortuous paths impede contaminant penetration and direct contaminants away from the photovoltaic cell and towards the beads.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The diagram 4 shows a schematic top-down view of an assembly for photovoltaic devices and diagram 16 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a nanolaminate barrier film.    Photovoltaic cell (212)    Roofing membrane (220)    Barrier film (600)    Underlying substrate (606)    Uppermost layer. (610)