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A breathable, elastic film/support layer laminate includes a thermoplastic elastomer film sheet of a thermoplastic elastomer and a filled semi crystalline predominantly linear polymer. The film includes between about 25 and 70 weight percent filler, between about 5 and 30 by weight percent semi-crys

A breathable, elastic film/support layer laminate includes a thermoplastic elastomer film sheet of a thermoplastic elastomer and a filled semi crystalline predominantly linear polymer. The film includes between about 25 and 70 weight percent filler, between about 5 and 30 by weight percent semi-crystalline linear polymer, and between about 15 and 60 by weight percent elastomeric polymer. The filler is closely associated with the semi-crystalline linear polymer. The film demonstrates a load loss value at a 50 percent elongation of less than 50 percent, and a breathability of greater than 100 g/m2/24 hours and is laminated to a nonwoven layer.

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What is claimed is: 1. A method for forming an elastic, breathable film/nonwoven layer laminate comprising the steps of: a) filling a semi-crystalline, predominantly linear polymer with a filler to form a filled polymer such that said filled polymer contains at least 60 percent by weight filler, wh

What is claimed is: 1. A method for forming an elastic, breathable film/nonwoven layer laminate comprising the steps of: a) filling a semi-crystalline, predominantly linear polymer with a filler to form a filled polymer such that said filled polymer contains at least 60 percent by weight filler, wherein said semi-crystalline polymer forms a shell around said filler particles; b) dry-blending a thermoplastic elastomer with the filled polymer to form a blended elastomeric composition, such that said blended elastomeric composition includes between about 25 and 70 percent filler by weight, between about 5 and 30 percent semi-crystalline polymer by weight, and between about 15 and 60 percent by weight elastomer, c) extruding the blended elastomeric composition into a film, wherein said filled polymer is not fully compounded throughout said blended elastomeric composition; d) stretching said film in a machine direction so that the film has a length that is from about 2 to about 5 times its original length, such that said film produced has a basis weight of between about 10 and 60 gsm and demonstrates a breathability greater than 100 g/m2/24 hours and a load loss value of less than 50 percent, at 50 percent elongation, when stretched to 70 percent elongation, a) bonding the produced film to a nonwoven layer to produce a film/nonwoven layer laminate. 2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of stretching the film/nonwoven layer laminate following lamination, in at least the cross-machine direction. 3. The method of claim 2 wherein the filled polymer contains at least 70 percent by weight filler. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein step a), the semi-crystalline polymer is a polyethylene or polyethylene copolymer having a melt index greater than 5 g/10 min and a density greater than about 0.910 g/cc. 5. The method of claim 4 wherein step a), the semi-crystalline polymer is a polyethylene or polyethylene copolymer having a melt index greater than about 20 g/10 min. 6. The method of claim 4 wherein step a), the semi-crystalline polymer has a density of about 0.917 g/cc. 7. The method of claim 4 wherein step a), the semi-crystalline polymer has a density of greater than about 0.917 g/cc. 8. The method of claim 4 wherein step a), the semi-crystalline polymer has a density of between about 0.917 g/cc and 0.960 g/cc. 9. The method of claim 4 wherein step a), the semi-crystalline polymer has a density of between about 0.923 g/cc and 0.960 g/cc. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein step a), the semi-crystalline polymer is a polypropylene or polypropylene copolymer having a melt flow rate of greater than 10 g/10 min. and a density between about 0.89 g/c and 0.90 g/cc. 11. The method of claim 1 wherein step a), the filled polymer contains greater than 75 percent by weight filler. 12. The method of claim 1 wherein step b), the blended elastomeric composition contains between about 45 and 65 percent filler by weight. 13. The method of claim 1 wherein step b), the blended elastomeric composition contains between about 5 and 20 percent by weight semi-crystalline polymer. 14. The method of claim 1 wherein step b), the blended elastomeric composition contains between about 15 and 50 percent thermoplastic elastomer. 15. The method of claim 1 wherein step b), the blended elastomeric composition contains between about 25 and 50 percent thermoplastic elastomer. 16. The method of claim 1 wherein said bonding step e) is accomplished through a method selected from adhesive, thermal or ultrasonic bonding. 17. The method of claim 16 wherein said bonding Step e) is accomplished through an adhesive bonding step. 18. The method of claim 17 wherein said adhesive bonding step is accomplished by a slot coating adhesive system. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein adhesive is applied between about 1.0 and 3.0 gsm. 20. The method of claim 1, wherein said nonwoven layer is stretched in a CD direction prior to being bonded to said film layer. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein said nonwoven layer is stretched using grooved rolls. 22. The method of claim 20 wherein said nonwoven layer is necked to approximately its original width prior to being bonded to said film. 23. The method of claim 1, wherein said laminate demonstrates a load loss value of less than 75 percent, at 50 percent elongation, when stretched to 70 percent elongation. 24. The method of claim 1, wherein said laminate demonstrates a load loss value of less than 65 percent, at 50 percent elongation, when stretched to 70 percent elongation. 25. The method of claim 1, wherein said laminate demonstrates a load loss value of less than 60 percent, at 50 percent elongation, when stretched to 70 percent elongation. 26. The method of claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic elastomer is a block copolymer. 27. A method for forming en elastic, breathable film/nonwoven layer laminate comprising the steps of: a) filling a semi-crystalline, predominantly linear polymer with a filler to form a filled polymer such that said filled polymer contains at least 70 percent by weight filler, wherein said semi-crystalline polymer forms a shell around said filler particles; (b) dry-blending a thermoplastic elastomer with the filled polymer to form a blended elastomeric composition, such that said blended elastomer composition includes between about 25 and 70 percent filler by weight, between about 5 and 30 percent semi-crystalline polymer by weight, and between about 15 end 60 percent by weight elastomer; c) extruding the blended elastomeric composition into a film, wherein said filled polymer is not fully compounded throughout said blended elastomeric composition; d) stretching said film in a machine direction so that the film has a length from about 2 to about 5 times its original length, such that said film produced has a basis weight of between about 15 and 60 gsm and demonstrates a breathability greater than 100 g/m2/24 hours, e) bonding the produced film to a nonwoven layer to produce a film/nonwoven layer laminate demonstrating a load loss value of less than 75 percent at 50 percent elongation, when stretched to a 70 percent elongation. 28. The method of claim 27 wherein said thermoplastic elastomer is a block copolymer. 29. The method of claim 27 wherein said laminate load loss is less than about 65 percent. 30. The method of claim 27 wherein said laminate load loss is less than about 55 percent. 31. The method of claim 27 wherein step a), the semi-crystalline polymer is a polyethylene or polyethylene copolymer having a melt index greater than 10 g/10 min. and a density greater than 0.915 g/cc. 32. The method of claim 31 wherein step a), the semi-crystalline polymer is a polyethylene or polyethylene copolymer having a melt index greater than about 20 g/10 min. 33. The method of claim 31 wherein step a), the semi-crystalline polymer has a density of about 0.917 g/cc. 34. The method of claim 31 wherein step a), the semi-crystalline polymer has a density of greater than about 0.917 g/cc. 35. The method of claim 31 wherein step a), the semi-crystalline polymer has a density of between about 0.917 g/cc and 0.960 g/cc. 36. The method of claim 31 wherein step a), the semi-crystalline polymer has a density of between about 0.923 g/cc and 0.980 g/cc. 37. The method of claim 27, wherein step a), the semi-crystalline polymer is a polypropylene or polypropylene copolymer having a melt flow rate of greater than 20 g/10 min. and a density between about 0.69 g/c and 0.90 g/cc. 38. A method for forming an elastic, breathable film laminate comprises the steps of: a) filling a semi-crystalline polymer with a filler to form a filled polymer such that the filled polymer contains at least 70 percent by weight tiller, wherein said semi-crystalline polymer forms a shell around said filler particles; b) dry-blending a thermoplastic elastomer with the filled polymer to form a blended elastomeric composition, such that the blended elastomeric composition includes between about 25 and 70 percent filler by weight, between about 5 and 30 percent semi-crystalline polymer by weight, and between about 15 and 60 percent by weight elastomer; c) extruding the blended elastomer composition into a film, wherein said filled polymer is not fully compounded throughout said blended elastomeric composition; d) stretching said film in a machine direction so that the film has a length that is from about 2 to about 5 times its original length, e) bonding the produced film to a nonwoven layer to produce a film layer/nonwoven layer laminate. 39. The method of claim 38 wherein said nonwoven layer is necked prior to bonding with the produced film. 40. The method of claim 38 wherein the nonwoven layer is stretched in the cross-machine direction and then necked down to its original width prior to being bonded to the film. 41. The method of claim 38 wherein the nonwoven layer is extensible. 42. The method of claim 1 wherein said nonwoven layer is necked prior to being bonded to said film. 43. The method of claim 27 wherein said nonwoven layer is necked prior to being bonded to said film.