A copper-indium-gallium-diselenide layer was formed from the binary-alloy nanoparticles of In2Se3. Ga2Se3, and CuSe. Copper-indium-gallium-diselenide thin films were fabricated using the precursor nanoparticle-ink based on non-vacuum technology. The ink was fabricated by a ball milling procedure and the size of agglomerated copper-indium-gallium-diselenide powder after milling was less than 100 nm. Crystallographic, morphological, stoichiometric, and photovoltaic properties of the films were characterized by sintering the precursor copper-indium-gallium-diselenide samples with different holding times in a non-vacuum environment without selenization. Analytical results indicate that the copper-indium-gallium-diselenide absorption layer prepared with a holding time of 7.5 min has a chalcopyrite structure and favorable compositions. The obtained compositions of the sample are Cu0.976In0.811Ga0.277Se1.935, and the ratios of Ga/(In+Ga) and Cu/(In + Ga) are 0.254 and 0.896, respectively. The photovoltaic properties of this sample are E-g of 1.185 eV, V-oc of 0.643 V. N-ds of 1.3 x 10(15) cm(-3), and Ga of 0.277 mol, respectively. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.