TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The method further involves adding a sodium containing material to the film after the processing step. The method involves formulating an ink of particles; 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; and depositing a chalcogen source as a separate layer over the dense film. In the method, the dense film is used in the formation of a semiconductor absorber for a photovoltaic device. The flakes comprises of nanoflakes and microflakes. The planar shape of the nanoflakes creates greater surface area contact between adjacent nanoflakes that allows the dense film to form at a lower temperature and/or shorter time as compared to a film made from a precursor layer using an ink of spherical nanoparticles, where the nanoparticles have similar material composition and the ink is otherwise identical to the ink. 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 the following materials: a group IB element, a group IIIA element, a group VIA element, a group IA element, a binary and/or multinary alloy of any of the preceding elements, a solid solution of any of the preceding elements, 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 nanoflakes contain sodium ( less than or equal to 1%). 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. 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 and/or nanoflakes containing at least one of the following materials: 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; 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. In the method, at least 90 (preferably at least 95)% of the particles are nanoflakes. Preferred Components: The nanoflakes contains at least one of the following materials: 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. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.