This paper describes the investigations of CIS-based solar cells with a new InxSey (IS) buffer layer. Studies were concentrated on determining the deposition conditions to get InxSey thin films with adequate properties to be used in substitution of the US buffer layer, usually employed in the fabrication of this type of devices. Before the solar cell fabrication, the buffer layers grown by evaporation of the In2Se3 compound were characterized through transmittance and X-ray diffraction measurements. It was found that good results can be obtained using indium selenide film as the buffer layer, grown in the In2Se3 phase. Solar cells with structure Mo/CIS/In2Se3/ZnO were fabricated. The ZnO layer was deposited by reactive evaporation and the absorber CIS layer was grown on Mo by a two-stage process. The preliminary results obtained with this type of solar cells are J(sc) = 30.8 mA/cm(2), V-oc = 0.445 V, FF approximate to 0.6 and eta = 8.3% with an irradiance of 100 mW/cm(2). Solar cells fabricated using a US buffer layer deposited by CBD on CIS substrate, prepared under the same conditions used in the fabrication of Mo/CIS/In2Se3/ZnO cells, gave the following results: V-oc = 0.43 V, J(sc) = 34 mA/cm(2), FF approximate to 0.63 and eta = 9.2%. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.