Method of fabricating photovoltaic cells

A method of fabricating photovoltaic cells, said method comprising the steps of:

• fabricating a composite ribbon by depositing two layers of semiconductor material continuously and respectively on the two faces of a carbon ribbon to support said two layers, so that said two layers of semiconductor material surround said carbon ribbon after the carbon ribbon, as such, passes through a bath of molten semiconductor material, each of the two layers of semiconductor material haying a free face on which a treatment is able to be applied;
• prior to eliminating said carbon ribbon, eliminating a deposit of semiconductor material from flanks of said composite ribbon in a sufficient way to lay bare the edge faces of said carbon ribbon, so that flanks of the carbon ribbon are cleared of the deposit of semiconductor material;
• eliminating the carbon ribbon during said method by burning off the carbon ribbon by oxidation from the flanks of the carbon ribbon cleared of the deposit of semiconductor material;
• applying at least one treatment to said free face of at least one of said layers of semiconductor material, in order to implement photovoltaic functions of said cells on said layer, prior to eliminating the carbon ribbon.