Method of curing solar cells to reduce lamination induced efficiency loss

A method for encapsulating a solar cell, said method comprising:

• providing a solar cell with a copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) absorber layer;
• testing said solar cell by carrying out at least an IV test on said solar cell;
• curing said solar cell in an environment having a relative humidity of about 20% to about 90% relative humidity after said testing said solar cell;
• laminating an encapsulating film on a back side of solar cell after said curing;
• and
• disposing a front glass sheet on a front side of said solar cell.

A method for encapsulating a solar cell, said method comprising:

• providing a solar cell with a copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) absorber layer;
• directing a laser beam onto an edge portion of said solar cell to carry out a laser edge deletion process;
• soaking said solar cell with light;
• testing said solar cell after said soaking, by carrying out at least an IV test on said solar cell;
• curing said solar cell in an environment having a relative humidity of about 50% to about 90% relative humidity after said testing said solar cell;
• laminating an ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer film on a back side of solar cell after said curing;
• and
• disposing a front glass sheet on a front side of said solar cell after said laminating.