Patent ID: 8207442

Claim:
A photovoltaic device, comprising: a reinforced substrate, including: a polymer base material, and nano-filler disposed within the polymer base material, the reinforced substrate presenting a surface in a condition that is made ready for deposition of thin film layers of the photovoltaic device; a back contact layer formed on the surface of the reinforced substrate; a solar absorber layer formed on the back contact layer; and at least one of: a window layer formed on the solar absorber layer, an interface layer disposed between the back contact layer and the reinforced substrate, and a stress relief layer formed on a surface of the reinforced substrate opposite to the back contact layer; wherein the polymer base material comprises a silicone composition, the silicone composition comprising: (A) a silicone resin having silicon-bonded alkenyl groups or silicon-bonded hydrogen, (B) an organosilicon compound having an average of at least two silicon bonded hydrogen atoms or silicon-bonded alkenyl groups per molecule, and present in an amount sufficient to cure said silicone resin, and (C) a catalytic amount of a hydrosilylation catalyst.