TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The substrate is first coated with a barrier layer, where the barrier layer is made with elements selected from silicon nitride (SiN), silicon dioxide (SiO2), and silicon carbide (SiC). It is further coated with a back contact layer, where the back contact layer is selected from refractory elements of molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta) and rhodium (Rh). The thermal evaporation element comprises copper-indium-gallium (CIG) powder. The source material comprises In, gallium (Ga) and selenium (Se); or comprises a portion of CIG powder. Preferred Process: Alternatively, depositing CIGS thin film for solar panel construction involves: (a) providing a first chamber and a second chamber; (b) providing a substrate and placing the substrate inside the first chamber; (c) providing a portion of Cu and sputtering the Cu on to the substrate to form a Cu substrate; (d) transporting the Cu substrate to the second chamber; (e) providing a thermal evaporation element in the second chamber where the thermal evaporation element is comprised of In, Ga and Se; (f) heating the thermal evaporation element and the Cu substrate in the second chamber where the thermal evaporation element evaporates and is deposited onto the Cu substrate to form a CIGS substrate. Depositing CIGS thin film for solar panel construction involves: (a) providing a first chamber and a second chamber; (b) providing a substrate and placing the substrate inside the first chamber; (c) providing a portion of Cu and sputtering the Cu onto the substrate to form a Cu substrate; (d) transporting the Cu substrate to the second chamber; (e) providing a source material in the second chamber where the source material is introduced into the second chamber via a heating tube and distribution assembly; (f) heating the source material through the heating tube and distribution assembly and converting the source material to a vaporized form; and (g) directing the source material to the Cu substrate via the heating tube and distribution assembly thus depositing the source material on to the Cu substrate to form a CIGS substrate. Sodium fluoride (NaF) can be deposited by evaporation onto the substrate before sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate. Additionally: (a) sputtering the elements from the metallic target to the substrate involves first sputtering CuGa from a CuGa target followed by sputtering In from In target where as a result the ration of Cu/(In+Ga) is 0.7-1 and the ratio of Ga/(In+Ga) is 0-1; (b) sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate involves first sputtering In from In target followed by sputtering CuGa from a CuGa target where as a result the ratio of Cu/(In+Ga) is 0.7-1 and the ratio of Ga/(In+Ga) is 0-1; (c) sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate involves first sputtering CuGa from a CuGa target followed by sputtering CuIn from CuIn target where as a result the ratio of Cu/(In+Ga) is 0.7-1 and the ratio of Ga/(In+Ga) is 0-1; (d) sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate involves first sputtering CuIn from CuIn target followed by sputtering CuGa from a CuGa target where as a result the ratio of Cu/(In+Ga) is 0.7-1 and the ratio of Ga/(In+Ga) is 0-1; (e) sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate involves first sputtering CuGa from a CuGa target where ratio of Cu/Ga is not greater than 1, followed by sputtering CuIn from CuIn target where ratio of Cu/In is not less than 1, where as a result the ration of Cu/(In+Ga) is 0.7-0.9 and the ratio of Ga/(In+Ga) is 0-1; (f) sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate involves first sputtering CuIn from a CuIn target where ratio of Cu/In is not less than 1, followed by sputtering CuGa from CuGa target where ratio of Cu/Ga is not greater than 1, where as a result the ratio of Cu/(In+Ga) is 0.7-0.9 and the ratio of Ga/(In+Ga) is 0-1; (g) sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate involves first sputtering CuGa from a CuGa target where ratio of Cu/Ga is not less than 1, followed by sputtering CuIn from CuIn target where ratio of Cu/In is not greater than 1, where as a result the ratio of Cu/(In+Ga) is 0.7-0.9 and the ratio of Ga/(In+Ga) is 0-1; (h) sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate involves first sputtering CuIn from a CuIn target where ratio of Cu/In is not greater than 1, followed by sputtering CuGa from CuGa target where ratio of Cu/Ga is not less than 1, where as a result the ration of Cu/(In+Ga) is 0.7-0.9 and the ratio of Ga/(In+Ga) is 0-1; or (i) sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate involves simultaneously sputtering CuIn from a CuIn target; and sputtering CuGa from CuGa target where as a result the ration of Cu/(In+Ga) is not greater than 1 and the ratio of Ga/(In+Ga) is 0-1. The substrate is heated by a method selected from resistive/electrical heating, Infra-red (IR) heating, and radiofrequency (RF) heating/microwave heating. Further: (a) sputtering the element from the metallic target to the substrate involves subjecting the substrate in planar motion as the elements are sputtered onto the substrate; (b) sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate involves subjecting the substrate facing down as the elements are sputtered onto the substrate; (c) sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate involves subjecting the substrate facing up as the elements are sputtered onto the substrate; or (d) sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate involves g sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate until the elements on the substrate is approximately 0.8-5 mu m in thickness. Portion of copper sulfide (CuxS) is sputtered onto the substrate after the step of sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate. The method further involves reducing the pressure in the first chamber to not less than 1x10-6 torr and adding a sputtering gas to the first chamber before sputtering the Cu on to the substrate. Preferred Conditions: Sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate is carried out in room temperature. Sputtering the elements from the metallic targets to the substrate where the substrate is heated to a temperature of not less than 500 degrees C. The temperature of the first chamber is maintained at room temperature.