NOVELTY - The method comprises forming an amalgam paste (31) using a mixture of a solid metal or metals and a liquid metal or metals, forming a sputter target using the amalgam paste, using a grinding apparatus to mix the solid metal or metals and the liquid metal or metals, where the grinding apparatus is a pestle in a mortar or a ball mill, and heating the mixture to a mixing temperature that is sufficient to liquefy a pure metal or metals or a pre-mixed alloy to provide the liquid metal or metals. The sputtering target forming step comprises loading the amalgam paste into a shaped mold cavity (33).    USE - The method is useful for forming a sputter target that is useful for forming a thin-film of a solar photovoltaic cell such as CIGS solar cell.    ADVANTAGE - The method is capable of increasing a rate of hardening of the amalgam paste by increasing a temperature of the paste to above an ambient temperature thus improving mechanical strength of the amalgam paste by the precipitation of intermetallic compounds, and forming the sputter target in a cost-effective manner with high production yield.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The method comprises forming an amalgam paste (31) using a mixture of a solid metal or metals and a liquid metal or metals, forming a sputter target using the amalgam paste, using a grinding apparatus to mix the solid metal or metals and the liquid metal or metals, where the grinding apparatus is a pestle in a mortar or a ball mill, and heating the mixture to a mixing temperature that is sufficient to liquefy a pure metal or metals or a pre-mixed alloy to provide the liquid metal or metals. The mixing temperature is 14-160 degrees C. The sputtering target forming step comprises loading the amalgam paste into a shaped mold cavity (33), and hardening the amalgam paste in the shaped mold cavity into a form suitable for use as the sputter target. The mixture used in forming the amalgam paste is poured or loaded into a shape. The method further comprises heating the mixture to temperatures greater than an indium melting temperature. The mixture is suitable for adding to a selenium content of the sputtering target. The sputtering target comprised of a copper indium gallium (CIG) alloy or a CIG-selenide (CIGS) composition for contributing selenium to a thin layer sputtered from the sputtering target. The shaped cavity mold is formed in a flat tray structure. The structure contains the amalgam paste during baking treatment for hardening the mixture, and serves as a backing plate for the sputtering target and serves as a starting sheet (32). A flat bottom of the structure is bonded to the backing plate of similar dimensions with a solder material. The backing plate includes connections to provide electrical power, internal channels for the passage of cooling fluid and vacuum seals for attachment to a vacuum chamber. The cylindrical sputter target is constructed by pouring and compacting the amalgam paste into the shaped mold cavity that includes an annular space formed between outer and inner concentric cylinders. An outer surface of the inner cylinder is a backing surface for the sputtering target. An outer coaxial tube forms the outer cylinder and is removable when the amalgam paste is sufficiently hardened to form the sputter target. The sputter target is present in bonded combination with the inner cylinder backing plate. The cylindrical sputter target is formed by stacking a set of short ring-shaped segments that are made by pouring and compacting the amalgam paste into the shaped mold cavity. The shaped mold cavity is a short annular mold that is used to create each of the short ring-shaped segments. The short ring-shaped segments after separated from the shaped mold cavity are fitted onto a central tubular backing cylinder to form the short ring-shaped segments that form the cylindrical sputter target. The cylindrical sputter target is assembled by heating to form a solder bond between contact surfaces between adjacent rings and a solder bond between contact surfaces between an outer surface of the central metal backing cylinder and the inner surfaces of the short ring-shaped segments. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a method for forming a thin film.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a schematic cross sectional view of an amalgam loaded into a formed starting sheet that is solder-bonded to a backing plate.    Hardened amalgam paste (31)    Starting sheet (32)    Shaped mold cavity. (33)