A method of fabricating at least one absorber layer for thin-film photovoltaic devices, which absorber layer is made of an ABC chalcogenide material, including ABC chalcogenide material quaternary, pentanary, or multinary variations, wherein A represents elements in group 11 of the periodic table of chemical elements as defined by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry including Cu and Ag, B represents elements in group 13 of the periodic table including In, Ga, and Al, and C represents elements in group 16 of the periodic table including S, Se, and Te, where said absorber layer is deposited onto a back-contact layer carried by a substrate, said method comprising the following sequential steps (s 1) to (s 5), wherein the two steps (s 3,r) and (s 4,r) are executed at least once and may be sequentially repeated from zero up to a number R times, where r is a repeat counting index having a value from 0 to R that identifies the successive steps (s s,r) and (s 4,r), and where the temperature of substrate from steps (s 2) to (s 5) is greater than 350°C: s 1. depositing at least one B element onto the back-contact layer of said substrate in an amount that is greater than 10% and less than 90% of the total amount of required B elements at the end of the deposition process, such deposition being done in the presence of at least one C element; s 2. depositing an initial amount of at least one A element in combination with at least one B element and in the presence of at least one C element, with a ratio A r /B r of the atomic deposition rates of elements A and B such that: - Ar/Br > 1, and - the atomic ratio A/B of the total deposited elements A and B up to the end of step (s 2) is: 1 / 3 + 2 R 2 < A / B < 1.0; s 3,r. depositing at least one A element in combination with at least one B element and in the presence of at least one C element, with a ratio A r /B r of the atomic deposition rates of elements A and B such that: - A r /B r is less than 1/1.2 times that of A r /B r in the previous step, and - the atomic ratio A/B of the total deposited elements A and B up to the end of the step (s 3,r) is: 2 + 2 r / 3 + 2 R 2 < A / B < 1 + 3 1 + 2 r / 2 + 2 R 1 / 2; s 4,r. depositing at least one A element in combination with at least one B element and in the presence of at least one C element, with a ratio A r /B r of the atomic deposition rates of elements A and B such that; - A r /B r is at least 1.2 times greater than that of A r /B r in the previous step, and - the atomic ratio A/B of the total deposited elements A and B up to the end of the step (s 4,r) is: 3 + 2 r / 3 + 2 R 2 < A / B < 1 + 3 1 + r / 1 + R 1 / 2; s 5. depositing an additional amount of at least one B element in the presence of at least one C element onto the partially completed absorber layer, thereby changing the atomic ratio A/B of the total deposited elements A and B elements up to the end of step (s 5) to: 0.6 < A / B < 0.99. s 1. depositing at least one B element onto the back-contact layer of said substrate in an amount that is greater than 10% and less than 90% of the total amount of required B elements at the end of the deposition process, such deposition being done in the presence of at least one C element; s 2. depositing an initial amount of at least one A element in combination with at least one B element and in the presence of at least one C element, with a ratio A r /B r of the atomic deposition rates of elements A and B such that: - Ar/Br > 1, and - the atomic ratio A/B of the total deposited elements A and B up to the end of step (s 2) is: 1 / 3 + 2 R 2 < A / B < 1.0; - Ar/Br > 1, and - the atomic ratio A/B of the total deposited elements A and B up to the end of step (s 2) is: 1 / 3 + 2 R 2 < A / B < 1.0; s 3,r. depositing at least one A element in combination with at least one B element and in the presence of at least one C element, with a ratio A r /B r of the atomic deposition rates of elements A and B such that: - A r /B r is less than 1/1.2 times that of A r /B r in the previous step, and - the atomic ratio A/B of the total deposited elements A and B up to the end of the step (s 3,r) is: 2 + 2 r / 3 + 2 R 2 < A / B < 1 + 3 1 + 2 r / 2 + 2 R 1 / 2; - A r /B r is less than 1/1.2 times that of A r /B r in the previous step, and - the atomic ratio A/B of the total deposited elements A and B up to the end of the step (s 3,r) is: 2 + 2 r / 3 + 2 R 2 < A / B < 1 + 3 1 + 2 r / 2 + 2 R 1 / 2; s 4,r. depositing at least one A element in combination with at least one B element and in the presence of at least one C element, with a ratio A r /B r of the atomic deposition rates of elements A and B such that; - A r /B r is at least 1.2 times greater than that of A r /B r in the previous step, and - the atomic ratio A/B of the total deposited elements A and B up to the end of the step (s 4,r) is: 3 + 2 r / 3 + 2 R 2 < A / B < 1 + 3 1 + r / 1 + R 1 / 2; - A r /B r is at least 1.2 times greater than that of A r /B r in the previous step, and - the atomic ratio A/B of the total deposited elements A and B up to the end of the step (s 4,r) is: 3 + 2 r / 3 + 2 R 2 < A / B < 1 + 3 1 + r / 1 + R 1 / 2; s 5. depositing an additional amount of at least one B element in the presence of at least one C element onto the partially completed absorber layer, thereby changing the atomic ratio A/B of the total deposited elements A and B elements up to the end of step (s 5) to: 0.6 < A / B < 0.99.