TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The steps of depositing the ink and heating the substrate are repeated. The ink is deficient in the quantity of a Group 11 atom. The step of heating is a process involving converting the ink at 100-400 degrees C; and annealing the substrate at 400-650 (preferably 450-550) degrees C to form a thin film material. 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, wet coating, dip coating spin coating, knife coating, roller coating, rod coating, slot die coating, meyerbar coating, lip direct coating, capillary coating, liquid deposition, solution deposition, layer-by-layer deposition, spin casting, and/or solution casting. The substrate coated with an electrical contact layer is a conducting substrate. Preferred Components: The ink contains an alkali ion source compound of formula MalkMb(ER)4 or Malk(ER). The ink contains 0.001-20 (preferably 0.01-2) % sodium ions. The alkali ion source compound is soluble in an organic solvent. The alkali ion source compound MalkMb(ER)4 is NaIn(Se(nBu))4, NaIn(Se(sBu))4, NaIn(Se(iBu))4, NaIn(Se(nPr))4, NaIn(Se(nhexyl))4, NaGa(Se(nBu))4, NaGa(Se(sBu))4, NaGa(Se(iBu))4, NaGa(Se(nPr))4, or NaGa(Se(nhexyl))4)). The alkali ion source compound Malk(ER) is Na(Se(nBu)), Na(Se(sBu)), Na(Se(iBu)), Na(Se(nPr)), Na(Se(nhexyl)), Na(Se(nBu)), Na(Se(sBu)), Na(Se(iBu)), Na(Se(nPr)), or Na(Se(nhexyl)). The photovoltaic absorber precursor compounds are CIS or CIGS precursor compounds selected from indium selenide, In2Se3, gallium selenide, Ga2Se3, copper selenide, CuSe, Cu2Se, InCl3, GaCl3, CuCl, Cu2Cl, In(NO3)3, Ga(NO3)3, indium oxide, In2O3, gallium oxide, Ga2O3, copper oxide, CuO, Cu2O, and/or their nanoparticle forms. The photovoltaic absorber precursor compounds are polymeric precursor compounds made by reacting Mb(E'R')3 and Ma(E'R').Malk=Li, Na, or K;Mb=In, Ga, or Al;E=sulfur or selenium;R=alkyl or aryl;Ma=Cu or Ag;E'=S, Se, or Te;R'=alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkenyl, amido, silyl, and inorganic and organic groups.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The carrier is an organic solvent. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.