Solar cell laminates

Claim 1

In a method for forming a photovoltaic cell module laminate composed of at least one photovoltaic cell circuit sealed in a polymer, a solid superstrate, bonded to said polymer on the upperside of said cell and a solid substrate bonded to said polymer on the bottom side of said cell circuit, the improvement comprising providing upper and lower layers of uncrosslinked ethylene/vinylacetate copolymer adjacent the top and bottom of said cell circuit, said ethylene/vinylacetate copolymer layers having dispersed therein at least one peroxide initiator to crosslink said ethylene/vinylacetate copolymer and at least one organosilane monomer primer to promote bonding of said ethylene/vinylacetate copolymer to said cell circuit, superstrate and substrate, said initiator being present in an amount of no more than 1 weight percent based on the total weight of said ethylene/vinylacetate copolymer, said primer being present in an amount of no more than 0.5 weight percent based on the total weight of said ethylene/vinylacetate copolymer, and subjecting said laminate to an elevated temperature for a time sufficient to crosslink said ethylene/vinylacetate copolymer and seal said crosslinked ethylene/vinylacetate copolymer layers to one another around said cells thereby completely encapsulating said cells in crosslinked ethylene/vinylacetate copolymer and bonding said crosslinked ethylene/vinylacetate copolymer to said cell circuit, substrate and superstrate without separately coating said cell circuit, substrate and superstrate with primer prior to said crosslinking and bonding step.