Patent ID: 8168885
Filing Date: 2012-05-01
Classification: B32B,C08L,H01L,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A solar cell pre-laminate assembly comprising: (i) a front-sheet encapsulant layer, (ii) a solar cell layer comprising one or a plurality of electronically interconnected solar cells and having a light-receiving side and a rear side, and (iii) an optional back-sheet encapsulant layer, wherein said front-sheet encapsulant layer and said optional back-sheet encapsulant layer are laminated to the light-receiving side and the rear side of said solar cell layer, respectively, and at least one of the two encapsulant layers is a bi-layer thermoplastic film or sheet comprising a first surface layer that comprises an acid copolymer, an ionomer, or a combination thereof and a second surface layer that comprises an ethylene acrylate ester copolymer; wherein said acid copolymer comprises a finite amount of polymerized residues of an α-olefin and greater than or equal to 1 wt % of polymerized residues of an α, β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, based on a total weight of said acid copolymer; wherein said ionomer is a derivative of a parent acid copolymer comprising a finite amount of polymerized residues of an α-olefin and greater than or equal to about 10 wt % of polymerized residues of an α, β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, based on a total weight of said parent acid copolymer and having about 10 to 100% of a total carboxylic acid content neutralized with metallic ions; and wherein said ethylene acrylate ester copolymer comprises a finite amount of polymerized residues of an α-olefin and greater than or equal to 1 wt % of polymerized residues of an acrylate ester, based on a total weight of said ethylene acrylate ester copolymer.