TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The thin film material has a thickness of 0.001-100 mu m, preferably 0.05-5 mu m. The substrate is heated in the presence of selenium vapor, and at a temperature of 300-650 degrees C, preferably 200-400 degrees C. The step (c) is performed by a method comprising 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, 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: comprises a semiconductor, 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, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyester, polyester film, Mylar (RTM: Stretched polyethylene terephthalate), polyvinyl fluoride, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethylene, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, polyetherketone, polyimide, PVC, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene polymer, silicone, epoxy, paper and/or coated paper; is 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; and is a layer of a solar cell. The process further comprises exposing the substrate to selenium vapor, either before, during or after the steps (c) or (d). The polymeric precursor compounds comprise a sulfur selenium metal composite of formula ((R11-xR2x)u(R111-y-tR22yR33t)v((S1-zSez)R)w). The inks contain alkali in the form of sodium-indium composite of formula (NaIn(E1R1a)4), sodium-gallium composite of formula (NaGa(E1R1a)4), lithium-indium composite of formula (LiIn(E1R1a)4), lithium-gallium composite of formula (LiGa(E1R1a)4), potassium-indium composite of formula (KIn(E1R1a)4) and/or potassium-gallium composite of formula (KGa(E1R1a)4).R1 = Cu;R2 = Ag;R11 = In;R22 = Ga;R33 = Al;x = 0-1;y = 0 to 1-t;t = 0.001-1, preferably 0.001-0.2, where sum of y and t is 0.001-1;z = 0-1;u = 0.5-1.5;v = 0.5-1.5;w = 2-6;R = alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkenyl, amido, silyl or inorganic and organic ligands;E1 = S or Se; andR1a = alkyl or aryl. EXAMPLE - Polymeric precursor ink composition was prepared in a glovebox in an inert atmosphere by dissolving a polymeric precursor (comprised of copper-silver-selenium-secondary butyl-indium-gallium-aluminum composite (Cu0.7Ag0.25-(Se-sec-butyl)3.95In0.3Ga0.4Al0.3) in cyclohexanone at 5 wt/vol.%, and adding 0.1 wt/wt.% of sodium relative to copper as sodium-indium(selenium-secondary-butyl)4. The obtained ink was then sprayed onto an aluminum substrate using a spray pyrolysis unit (equipped with an ultrasonic nebulizer, precision flow meters for inert gas carrier, and a tubular quartz reactor in a furnace) in a glovebox in an inert atmosphere. The spray-coated substrate was then heated at 350 degrees C in an inert atmosphere to obtain the thin film material.