TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The metal foil layer is formed from a metal such as stainless steel, titanium, covar, invar, tantalum, brass and/or niobium. Preferred Composition: The CIS-based solar absorber layer further comprises a metal such as gallium, aluminum, boron, tellurium and/or sulfur. The silicone composition further comprises inorganic filler in particulate form.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The metal foil layer has a thickness of 12.5-1000 mu m. The silicone resin is silicone oxides (a) of formula ((R1R22SiO1/2)w(R22SiO2/2)x(R2SiO3/2)y(SiO4/2)z). The silicone resin is silicone oxides (a1) of formula ((R1R62SiO1/2)w-a(R62SiO2/2)x-a(R6SiO3/2)y-a(SiO4/2)z-a). The inorganic filler is silica nanoparticles having at least one physical dimension less than about 200 nm. The photovoltaic devices are monolithically integrated onto the substrate.R1 = 1-10 C hydrocarbyl or 1-10 C halogen substituted hydrocarbyl (both free of aliphatic unsaturation);R2 = R1, alkenyl or H;w = 0-0.9;x = 0-0.9;y = 0-0.99;z = 0-0.85;R6 = R1, H, OH or hydrolysable group;w-a = 0-0.8; x-a = 0-0.95;y-a = 0-1; andz-a = 0-0.99.Provided that: w+y+z=1; y+z/(w+x+y+z) is 0.1-0.99; w+x/(w+x+y+z) is 0.01-0-9; silicone resin has an average of at least two silicon-bonded alkenyl groups or two silicon-bonded hydrogen atom, hydroxy or hydrolysable groups per molecule; w-a+x-a+y-a+z-a = 1; and sum of R1SiO3/2 units and SiO4/2 units is greater than zero. Preferred Composition: The silicone composition is: a hydrosilylation-curable silicone composition comprises the silicone resin having silicone-bonded alkenyl groups or silicon-bonded hydrogen, an organosilicon compound having an average of at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms or silicon-bonded alkenyl groups per molecule, and cure the silicone resin; and hydrosilylation catalyst; rubber-modified silicone resin comprises the silicone resin is silicone oxide (a) and at least one silicone rubber (b) of formula (R5R12SiO(R1R5SiO)cSiR12R5 and R1R22SiO(R22SiO)dSiR22R1) (where c and d each have a value of 4-1000), in the presence of the hydrosilylation catalyst and optionally in the presence of an organic solvent; free radical curable silicone composition; and condensation-curable silicone composition comprises the silicone resin having at least two of a silicon-bonded hydroxy group or a hydrolysable group, optionally a cross-linking agent having silicon-bonded hydrolysable groups, and optionally a condensation catalyst; or a rubber-modified silicone resin prepared by reacting an organosilicon compound, which is silicone resin (a1), hydrolysable precursors of silicone resin, silicone rubber (b1) of formula (R83SiO(R1R8SiO)mSiR83), in the presence of water, a condensation catalyst, and an organic solvent, optionally a cross-linking agent having silicon-bonded hydrolysable groups, and optionally a condensation catalyst. The free radical-curable silicone composition comprises a silicone resin, which is silicone oxides (a2) of formula ((R1R92SiO1/2)w-b(R92SiO2/2)x-b(R9SiO3/2)y-b(SiO4/2)z-b). The silicone composition comprises cyclic dihydrogenpolysiloxanes comprising H2SiO2/2 units and having a weight-average molecular weight of 1500-1000000 and which are liquid at room temperature. The silicone composition comprises hydrogenpolysiloxanes having a siloxane unit of formula ((H2SiO2/2)x-c(HSiO3/2)y-c(SiO4/2)z-c), where x-c, y-c, and z-c is represent mole fractions, 0.12 less than or equal to x-c less than 1, 0 less than or equal to y-c less than or equal to 0.88, 0 less than or equal to z-c less than or equal to 0.30, y-c and z-c are not simultaneously 0, and x-c+y-c+z-c = 1.R8 = R1 or hydrolysable group;R9 = R1, alkenyl or alkynyl; andm = 2-1000.Provided that the silicone resin has silicon-bonded alkenyl groups, silicone rubber has silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms and silicone resin has silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms, silicone rubber has silicon-bonded alkenyl groups. EXAMPLE - Dow Corning 9-5101 (RTM: Hydrogen silsesquioxane resin) was applied onto stainless steel foil layer on a spin coater at 2000 rpm for 30 seconds. The stainless steel foil layer was 25 mm thick. The resin on the stainless steel foil layer was cured in an air circulating oven at 200 degrees C for 2 hours to form a silicone layer on the foil layer.