Conventional flux-distribution formulas for rotating and static I substrates are used to develop a method for combinatorial physical-vapor deposition. With this method, a single deposition system may be used, without modification, to deposit either highly uniform or graded-composition thin-film materials. This is accomplished through appropriate automated sequencing of source shutters and substrate rotation. A constrained-composition parametrization is introduced, which determines relative deposition times for the film constituents with and without substrate rotation. The combinatorial deposition scheme developed here is applicable to binary, ternary, or quaternary phase systems. Examples are considered for the pseudoquaternary CuInSe2-AgInSe2-CuGaSe2-AgGaSe2 chalcopyrite materials system, which has relevance to thin-film photovoltaics. (c) 2006 American Vacuum Society.