A method for making a copper indium chalcogenides powder, includes: (a) reacting a reactant mixture that contains a Cu-containing material, an In-containing material, and a chalcogenides-containing material in a polar organic solvent at an elevated temperature so as to form a precipitate, the polar organic solvent having a molecular structure containing at least one of nitrogen atom and oxygen atom, each of which having at least one lone electron pair, the polar organic solvent further having a dipole moment greater than 2.3 debye; and (b) separating the polar organic solvent from the precipitate.