Methods and devices for high-
throughput printing of a precursor material for forming a film of a group IB-IIIA-
chalcogenide compound are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises forming a precursor layer on a substrate, wherein the precursor layer comprises one or more discrete
layers. The
layers may include at least a first layer containing one or more group IB elements and two or more different group IIIA elements and at least a second layer containing elemental
chalcogen particles. The precursor layer may be heated to a temperature sufficient to melt the
chalcogen particles and to react the
chalcogen particles with the one or more group IB elements and group IIIA elements in the precursor layer to form a film of a group IB-IIIA-
chalcogenide compound. At least one set of the particles in the precursor layer are inter-metallic particles containing at least one group IB-IIIA inter-
metallic alloy phase. The method may also include making a film of group IB-IIIA-
chalcogenide compound that includes mixing the nanoparticles and / or nanoglobules and / or nanodroplets to form an ink, depositing the ink on a substrate, heating to melt the extra chalcogen and to react the chalcogen with the group IB and group IIIA elements and / or chalcogenides to form a dense film.