This contribution reports advances made by very useful X-ray methods for the analysis of chalcopyrite based thin films. First, a suitable grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) setup which effectively enables depth sensitive analysis of chalcogenide thin films is described. A novel peak profile analysis method facilitates compositional depth profiling of Cu(In,Ga)(S,SC)(2) thin films. In situ growth studies of chalcogenide thin films using energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) require collimated, high flux X-ray excitation available at synchrotron light sources. The benefits of time resolved EDXRD analysis for the understanding of growth mechanisms are demonstrated. Finally the progress in the quantification of thin bilayer systems by soft X-ray emission spectroscopy (S-XES) is reported. Using the information of the relative emission intensities of particular elements in chalcogenide materials it is possible to accurately determine cover layer thickness in the nanometer scale of thin and even rough layers. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.