TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The substrate is heated at 100-550 degrees C. The method further comprises: at least one step of heating and at least one step of annealing in any order; and an optional step of selenization or sulfurization, either before, during or after steps (c) or (d). Preferred Components: The molecular precursor compound is: of formula (M1-(ER1)(ER2)(ER3)M2R4) (I); dimer of formula (M1-(ER1)(ER2)(ER3)M2R4)2 (II); or copper indium diselenide (CIS) or copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) precursor. The substrate is: a semiconductor, a doped semiconductor, silicon, gallium arsenide, insulators, glass, molybdenum glass, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, silicon nitride, a metal, a metal foil, molybdenum, aluminum, beryllium, cadmium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, lead, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhenium, rhodium, silver, stainless steel, steel, iron, strontium, tin, titanium, tungsten, zinc, zirconium, a metal alloy, a metal silicide, a metal carbide, a polymer, a plastic, a conductive polymer, a copolymer, a polymer blend, a polyethylene terephthalate, a polycarbonate, a polyester, a polyester film, a Mylar (RTM: Polyester film or plastic sheet), a polyvinyl fluoride, polyvinylidene fluoride, a polyethylene, a polyetherimide, a polyethersulfone, a polyetherketone, a polyimide, a polyvinylchloride, an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene polymer, a silicone, an epoxy, paper and/or coated paper; a shaped substrate, a tube, a cylinder, a roller, a rod, a pin, a shaft, a plane, a plate, a blade, a vane, a curved surface or a spheroid; or a layer of a solar cell.M1 = monovalent metal atom, preferably Cu or Ag;M2 = group 13 atom, preferably Ga or In;E = S, Se or Te; andR1-R4 = 1-12C (preferably 1-4C) alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkenyl, amido, silyl or inorganic or organic ligands.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The depositing is done by spraying, spray coating, spray deposition, spray pyrolysis, printing, screen printing, inkjet printing, aerosol jet printing, ink printing, jet printing, stamp printing, transfer printing, pad printing, flexographic printing, gravure printing, contact printing, reverse printing, thermal printing, lithography, electrophotographic printing, electrodepositing, electroplating, electroless plating, bath deposition, coating, dip coating, wet coating, spin coating, knife coating, roller coating, rod coating, slot die coating, meyer-bar coating, lip direct coating, capillary coating, liquid deposition, solution deposition, layer-by-layer deposition, spin casting, solution casting, chemical vapor deposition, aerosol chemical vapor deposition, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, organometallic chemical vapor deposition and/or plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. EXAMPLE - Slurrying a silver-molecular precursor included tri-(tert-butylselenium)-(tert-butylgallium)silver complex in toluene, in a glovebox in an inert atmosphere to a concentration of 8 wt/wt.%. To this slurry was added polyurethane (0.3 wt/wt.%) and (n-butylselenium)sodium complex (0.1 mol%) relative to silver, to give molecular precursor ink composition. The ink was slot die coated onto a polyethylene terephthalate substrate in an inert atmosphere. A film of 1.5 mu thickness was deposited on the substrate. The substrate was removed and was heated at 250 degrees C in an inert atmosphere, to give a thin film material, which is a photovoltaic absorber layer.