Patent ID: 8277869

Claim:
A method of depositing a thin film chalcogenide buffer layer onto a flexible substrate, comprising: transporting a web of thin film substrate material through a deposition region; heating the web substantially nonconductively to maintain an average web temperature; dispensing onto a top surface of the web a first solution containing a metal chosen from the group consisting of copper, silver, gold, zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead, boron, aluminum, gallium, indium, and thallium; dispensing onto the top surface of the web a second solution containing a chalcogen chosen from the group consisting of oxygen, sulfur, selenium, and tellurium; measuring at least one property of a thin film formed through combination of the metal and the chalcogen, wherein the property is selected from the group consisting of thickness of the thin film and uniformity of the thin film; and adjusting the average web temperature in response to the at least one measured property.