TalTech 5GSOLAR/Laboratory for Thin Film Energy Materials

16/02/2026

🚕🌞The grand finale of Solaride's 3rd season was made even more special by the presence of our lab colleague, Arvo Mere, who mentored the project — and attended the event together with his grandson, the leader of the Electronics Team.

A meaningful moment that brought mentorship and family together ⚡
See a photo of them in the comments 😎👇

21/01/2026

☀️🦸 PV – action hero of our times?
What if solar power didn’t just cut your electricity bill, but helped save lives?
Flexible photovoltaics can power wearable rescue tech — sensors, communication, safety systems — right where and when it’s needed most.

Curious how PV moves from rooftops to rescue missions?
Read more here https://t.ly/nU8jF or here https://t.ly/zIdvn (page 206-209)

Maciej Sibiński from Tallinn University of Technology highlights the role of flexible photovoltaics in security and rescue systems.

23/12/2025

✨ Lab TF Energy Materials wishes you joyful holidays and a New Year filled with inspiration, new discoveries, and bright possibilities! ✨
May this festive season bring warmth, togetherness, and energy for a promising year ahead. We look forward to exploring, learning, and innovating with you in 2026! 💡🌱

17/12/2025

Our work is featured on the supplementary cover of ACS Publications Applied Materials & Interfaces! 🎉
A massive shoutout to the amazing team and ScienceBrush Design for bringing the concept to life with this beautiful design 🙌

🔹 TOC: https://pubs.acs.org/toc/aamick/17/47
🔹 Full paper: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c17869

02/12/2025

🎉 Big congratulations to Dr. Sajeesh Gopi on successfully defending his PhD thesis! 🥳
📖 Thesis title: “Development of CdS/Sb2Se3 Thin Film Solar Cells: Implications of CdS Processing on Absorber Layer Properties and Device Performance”
Thesis available: https://t.ly/vajBo

🔬 His research tackles one of today’s most important scientific challenges—advancing next-generation thin film solar cells using sustainable, scalable and efficient technologies. By investigating the impact of CdS processing on the CdS/Sb2Se3 heterojunction, his work brings critical insight into how interface engineering and material optimisation influence overall device performance.

💡 Through a systematic approach combining advanced deposition techniques, interface analysis and defect characterisation, Sajeesh’s thesis presents new strategies to improve absorber layer quality, enhance charge transport and boost solar cell efficiency. His results significantly contribute to advancing antimony selenide photovoltaics and open new pathways for scalable clean energy solutions.

🌍 Special thanks to the supervisors for their guidance, the opponents for their valuable input during the defence, and of course the invaluable support of close friends!

Join us in celebrating this outstanding achievement and wishing Dr. Sajeesh continued success in pushing forward the frontiers of solar energy technology! 🌟

24/11/2025

A new breakthrough in Sb₂S₃ photovoltaics! ☀️🔬

Our latest research shows that optimised precursor control can decisively shift the scaling trajectory of antimony sulfide ultrathin films — confirming in-air spray deposition as a high-yield, tandem-ready fabrication route.

It is often assumed that film growth is driven mainly by temperature and concentration, leading to similar outcomes regardless of the precursor chemistry. But is that really the case?

In our new article published in , led by Ernest Asare, we demonstrate that the performance of our high-quality 70 nm Sb₂S₃ film hinges on the choice of sulfur source (thiourea) and precise control of precursor molar ratios.
We show that excess thiourea can significantly reduce the growth rate, improve film stoichiometry, and ultimately enhance device performance.

A huge thanks to all contributors from TalTech - Tallinna Tehnikaülikool , Catalonia Institute for Energy Research, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - UPC , Universitat de Barcelona, Latvijas Universitāte — your expertise and teamwork made this work possible! 🙌

Curious to learn more? Read the full article:
🔗 https://t.ly/AVkdf

Addressing the critical need for scalable and efficient production of high-quality antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) ultrathin films for next-generation solar cell technologies, this study introduces a novel, industrially scalable approach utilizing ultrasonic spray pyrolysis with antimony trichloride (SbCl3...

13/11/2025

Meil on väga hea meel jagada TalTechi rõõmusõnumit! 🎉

Lasteraamat „Paul hakkab inseneriks“ pälvis Eesti Teadusagentuuri teaduse populariseerimise konkursil II koha trükisõna kategoorias.

🤍 Eriti uhked oleme aga selle üle, et ka meie labori liikmed panustasid raamatu valmimisse – nii sisulise nõu, katsete läbimõtlemise kui ka nende testimisega. On tore näha, et meie igapäevane teadustöö aitab populariseerida inseneeriat ka kõige nooremate seas.

👏 Tänu meie inimeste panusele on killuke sellest tunnustusest ka meie labori oma.

Suur aitäh autorile ja kogu raamatutiimile ning palju õnne kõigile asjaosalistele! 🌟

10/11/2025

We are excited to share our latest results on Sb₂S₃-based solar cells ⚡️, introducing a fully cadmium-free device architecture 🌱.
In this work, we integrate a ZnO interfacial layer between TiO₂ and Sb₂S₃, deposited using ultrasonic spray pyrolysis 🔬.
Our approach achieves a record efficiency of
☀️ 7.5% under AM 1.5G and
💡 18% under indoor lighting,
using only a 150 nm-thick absorber — the thinnest reported so far for devices reaching this performance level 🥇.
The ZnO interlayer significantly improves grain growth and reduces interface defects 🔧, underscoring the crucial role of interface engineering in advancing sustainable, high-performance Sb₂S₃ photovoltaics for both outdoor and indoor applications 🌍🏠.
📄 Read the full article here: https://t.ly/s4XVU

24/10/2025

Be a pop-sci star during your research work! ✨

Popular science articles are a powerful way to expand your research impact — reaching beyond academic circles, connecting with new collaborators, inspiring future students, and helping society better understand applied science.

On 14–16 October, prof. Maciej Sibiński led a three-day workshop on popular science writing, joined by a group of enthusiastic participants. 💡

Drawing on best practices and his own experience, the workshop explored:
🧠 The key differences between scientific reports and popular science articles
📰 How to tailor writing for diverse audiences
🧩 Practical techniques inspired by top technical magazines

Communicating science can be both a responsibility and a joy — especially when done with passion and skill!

17/10/2025

We’re excited to share highlights from EU PVSEC 2025 in Bilbao, where TalTech’s Laboratory for Thin Film Energy Materials hosted the ReNewPV–CA21148 / 5GSOLAR booth! 🌍🔋

Together with CTF Solar GmbH (Germany) and Sunplugged GmbH (Austria), we showcased next-generation thin-film photovoltaic technologies — from rigid to flexible, opaque to semitransparent, and even bifacial PV. ⚡

These innovations bring sustainable, multifunctional solar solutions closer to real-world applications. ☀️
A big thank you to all our partners and colleagues from TalTech and IREC!