Metal-metal chalcogenide molecular precursors to binary, ternary, and quaternary metal chalcogenide thin films for electronic devices.

Bulk metals and metal chalcogenides are found to dissolve in primary amine-dithiol solvent mixtures at ambient conditions. Thin-films of CuS, SnS, ZnS, Cu2Sn(S(x),Se(1-x))3, and Cu2ZnSn(S(x)Se(1-x))4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) were deposited using the as-dissolved solutions. Cu2ZnSn(S(x)Se(1-x))4 solar cells with efficiencies of 6.84% and 7.02% under AM1.5 illumination were fabricated from two example solution precursors, respectively.