Various copper organometallic sources (hexafluoro-acetylacetonato copper complexed with an amine, cyclopentadienyl copper triethylphosphine and cyclopentadienyl copper tertiarybutylisocyanide) were synthesised and evaluated for the deposition of polycrystalline and epitaxial thin films of CuGaSe2 for photovoltaic applications and fundamental investigations. The properties of these sources are reviewed together with the growth and characterisation of the copper and CuGaSe2 lacers that were produced using the different sources. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.