Abstract: The invention relates to a conductive transparent glass substrate for a photovoltaic cell, that does not comprise a metal layer and comprises, in succession, a sheet of glass, a barrier layer based on oxide, nitride or oxynitride, a conductive functional layer based on doped zinc oxide or doped indium oxide, and a protection layer based on nitride, oxynitride or oxycarbide such that the barrier layer has a thickness that is at least more than, or equal to 10 nm, and, at the most, less than or equal to 100 nm, the functional layer has a thickness that is at least more than or equal to 200 nm and at the most, less than or equal to 1200 nm, and the protection layer has a thickness that is at least more than or equal to 10 nm, and at the most, lower than or equal to 250 nm. The invention also relates to the method of producing said substrate, to the CdTe-based photovoltaic cells incorporating said substrate, and to the method for producing said cells.