TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The method (m1) involves:(1) formulating an ink of particles, where greater than or equal to 50% of the particles are flakes each containing at least one element from group IB, IIIA and/or VIA and having a non-spherical, planar shape, and overall amounts of elements from group IB, IIIA and/or VIA contained in the ink are such that the ink has a desired stoichiometric ratio of the elements; coating a substrate with the ink to form a precursor layer; and processing the precursor layer in an atmosphere to form a dense film, where at least one set of the particles in the ink are inter-metallic flake particles containing at least one group IB-IIIA inter-metallic alloy phase;(2) formulating an ink of particles where a majority of the particles are nanoflakes each containing at least one element from group IB, IIIA and/or VIA and having a non-spherical, planar shape, where the overall amounts of the elements from group IB, IIIA and/or VIA contained in the ink are such that the ink has a desired stoichiometric ratio of the elements; coating a substrate with the ink to form a precursor layer; and processing the precursor layer to form a dense film for growth of a semiconductor absorber of a photovoltaic device, where at least one set of the particles in the ink are inter-metallic nanoflake particles containing at least one group IB-IIIA inter-metallic alloy phase;(3) formulating an ink of particles where greater than or equal to 50% of the particles are flakes each containing at least one element from group IB, IIIA and/or VIA and having a non-spherical, planar shape, where overall amounts of elements from group IB, IIIA and/or VIA contained in the ink are such that the ink has a desired stoichiometric ratio of the elements; coating a substrate with the ink to form a precursor layer; and processing the precursor layer in a suitable atmosphere to form a dense film, where the inter-metallic particles contribute less than 50 molar percent of group IB elements found in all of the particles; and(4) formulating an ink of particles where a majority of the particles are nanoflakes each containing at least one element from group IB, IIIA and/or VIA and having a non-spherical, planar shape, where the overall amounts of the elements from group IB, IIIA and/or VIA contained in the ink are such that the ink has a desired stoichiometric ratio of the elements; coating a substrate with the ink to form a precursor layer; and processing the precursor layer to form a dense film for growth of a semiconductor absorber of a photovoltaic device, where at least one set of the particles in the ink are inter-metallic nanoflake particles containing at least one group IB-IIIA inter-metallic alloy phase, and at least 80 (preferably at least 90)% of the particles are nanoflakes.In the method (m1), at least one set of the particles in the dispersion is in the form of nanoglobules and contain at least one group IIIA element (preferably in elemental form). The depositing step involves coating the substrate with the dispersion comprising an emulsion. The method additionally involves adding a mixture of at least one elemental particles selected from aluminum, tellurium, or sulfur. The milling transforms at least 50% (preferably at least 95%; especially substantially all) of the precursor particles into nanoflakes. The milling occurs in an oxygen free atmosphere to create oxygen free nano flakes, and in an inert gas environment to create oxygen free nano flakes at room temperature and at cryogenic temperature. The milling occurs at a milling temperature where all elements in the precursor particles are solids and have the precursor particles with ductility at the milling temperature to form the planar shape from the non-planar starting shape. The milling occurs at a temperature less than 15 (preferably less than -200)degreesC. The method of using the material additionally involves heating the material on a substrate to form a film and then forming a layer of sodium-containing material on the film. Preferred Components: The inter-metallic phase is not a terminal solid solution phase or solid solution phase. The inter-metallic particles contribute less than 50 molar percent of group IB or IIIA elements found in all of the particles. The inter-metallic particles contribute less than or more than 50 molar percent of group IB and IIIA elements in the dispersion deposited on the substrate. The molar percent is based on a total molar mass of the elements in all particles present in the dispersion. At least some (preferably majority; and especially all) of the particles have a platelet shape. The inter-metallic material is a binary or ternary material; and comprises CU1In2, CU1Ga2, Cu68Ga38, Cu70Ga30 and Cu75Ga25. The inter-metallic material comprises a composition in a delta phase of CU1In2; a composition in between a delta phase of Cu1n2 and a phase formed by Cubing; and a composition of Cu-Ga of a phase in between the terminal solid-solution and an intermediate solid-solution next to it. The inter-metallic material comprises an intermediate solid-solution of CU1Ga2. The inter-metallic comprises a composition of Cu-Ga in a gamma1 phase (Ga 31.8-39.8 wt.%), in a gamma2 phase (Ga 36-39.9 wt.%), and in a gamma3 phase (Ga 39.7 to -44.9 wt.%); a composition of Cu-Ga in a theta phase (Ga 66.7-68.7 wt.%). The inter-metallic comprises a composition of Cu-Ga in a phase between gamma2 and gamma3, and in a phase between the terminal solid solution and gamma1; and Cu- rich Cu-Ga. The gallium is incorporated as a group IIIA element in the form of a suspension of nanoglobules, where nanoglobules of gallium are formed by creating an emulsion of liquid gallium in a solution, and gallium is quenched below room temperature; and additionally involves maintaining or enhancing a dispersion of liquid gallium in solution by stirring, mechanical means, electromagnetic means, ultrasonic means, and/or the addition of dispersants and/or emulsifiers. The atmosphere contains at least one of selenium, sulfur, tellurium, H2, CO, H2Se, H2S, Ar, and/or N2 (preferably H2, CO, Ar, or N2). The at least one class of the particles are doped with at least one inorganic materials selected from aluminum (Al), sulfur (S), sodium (Na), potassium (K), or lithium (Li). In the material (m2), the precursor particles are greater than or equal to 10 microns when measured along their longest dimension. The precursor particles are single metal; elemental; alloy; binary alloy; ternary alloy; quaternary alloy; or solid solution particles. The molar ratio of Group IB material to Group IIIA material in several of nanoflakes is larger than 1. The precursor particles are elemental particles and milling forms alloy nanoflakes from the elemental particles; and are chalcogenide particles associated with a stoichiometric ratio of elements that provides the precursor particles with ductility to form a planar shape from a non-planar starting shape. The precursor particles are selected from one of copper selenide, indium selenide, or gallium selenide. The stoichiometric ratio of elements varies between nanoflakes so long as the overall amount in all of the nanoflakes combined is at the desired stoichiometric ratio. The material (m2) additionally comprises size discriminating the nanoflakes to exclude nanoflakes above a desired length and above a desired thickness; and size discriminating the nanoflakes to control size variation of nanoflakes to a deviation of less than 30% of the mean length and 30% in mean thickness. The one standard deviation from a mean thickness of the nanoflakes is less than 10 (preferably less than 5) nm. The material (m2) additionally comprises coating the nanoflakes with at least one layer of material containing a group VIA element (preferably selenium and/or selenide). The nanoflakes form a dry powder, and contain sodium; and have an aspect ratio of at least greater than or equal to 10 (preferably greater than or equal to 15). The nanoflakes contains at least one material (m3) selected from Cu-Na, In-Na, Ga-Na, Cu-In-Na, Cu-Ga-Na, In-Ga-Na, Na-Se, Cu-Se-Na, In-Se-Na, Ga-Se-Na, Cu-In-Se-Na, Cu-Ga-Se-Na, In-Ga-Se-Na, Cu-In-Ga-Se-Na, Na-S, Cu-S-Na, In-S-Na, Ga-S-Na, Cu-In-S-Na, Cu-Ga-S-Na, In-Ga-S-Na, or Cu-In-Ga-S-Na. The material (m2) additionally comprises an ink containing a sodium compound with an organic counter-ion or a sodium compound with an inorganic counter-ion. The substrate is a flexible or rigid substrate. The dense film is a substantially void free film. The nanoflakes are oxygen free nanoflakes. The nanoflakes are of random planar shape and/or a random size distribution; or non-random planar shape and/or a non-random size distribution. The nanoflakes each have a thickness less than 20 nm. The nano flakes contain sodium. Preferred Film: The dense film is formed by heating a precursor layer of nanoflakes to a temperature greater than 375degreesC but less than a melting temperature of the substrate for a period of less than or equal to 1 minute. The dense film is formed by heating a precursor layer of nanoflakes to an annealing temperature but less than a melting temperature of the substrate for a period of less than or equal to 1 minute. The dense film formation is accelerated via thermal processing techniques using at least one of pulsed thermal processing, laser beams, or heating via infra-red (IR) lamps. The film is formed from a precursor layer of the nanoflakes and a layer of a sodium containing material in contact with the precursor layer. The film is formed from a precursor layer of the nanoflakes and a layer in contact with the precursor layer and containing at least one of a group IB, IIIA, VIA, IA elements, a binary and/or multinary alloy, a solid solution, copper, indium, gallium, selenium, copper indium, copper gallium, indium gallium, sodium, a sodium compound, sodium fluoride, sodium indium sulfide, copper selenide, copper sulfide, indium selenide, indium sulfide, gallium selenide, gallium sulfide, copper indium selenide, copper indium sulfide, copper gallium selenide, copper gallium sulfide, indium gallium selenide, indium gallium sulfide, copper indium gallium selenide, and/or copper indium gallium sulfide. The film is formed from a precursor layer of the nanoflakes and a ink containing a sodium compound with an organic counter-ion or a sodium compound with an inorganic counter-ion; or formed from a precursor layer of the nanoflakes and a layer of a sodium containing material in contact with the precursor layer and/or nanoflakes containing the material (m3), and/or an ink containing the nanoflakes and a sodium compound with an organic counter-ion or a sodium compound with an inorganic counter-ion. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.