Patent ID: 8449793

Claim:
A method for making an article, the method comprising: (a) providing one or more polymeric precursor compounds for CA(I,G,A)S, CAIGAS, A(I,G,A)S, AIGAS, C(I,G,A)S, or CIGAS, the polymeric precursor compounds having the empirical formula (Cu 1-x Ag x ) u (In 1-y-t Ga y Al t ) v ((S 1-z Se z )R) w , wherein x is from 0 to 1, y is from 0 to 1 minus t, t is from 0.001 to 1, the sum of y plus t is from 0.001 to 1, z is from 0 to 1, u is from 0.5 to 1.5, v is from 0.5 to 1.5, w is from 2 to 6, and R represents R groups, of which there are w in number, which are independently selected from alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkenyl, amido, and silyl, or one or more inks containing the polymeric precursor compounds; (b) providing a substrate; and (c) depositing the compounds or inks onto the substrate, thereby forming a thin film of the polymeric precursor compounds.