Abstract: A method of improving the electrical conductivity of transparent conducting lines (32) carried on a substrate (46), particularly address lines on the active plate for a pixellated device such as an active matrix liquid crystal display or the like fabricated using a low mask count process, involves forming the lines on the substrate from a deposited layer of transparent conducting material (53), e.g. ITO, and provided on their upper surface with a covering layer (72′) extending from at least one end (75) and partially covering the surface, and then performing an electroplating operation to plate the lines (80) with a plating potential being applied at that end. The covering layer (72′) assists in achieving a more uniform plated layer (80) along the length of the line. The covering layer preferably comprises photoresist defined by selective patterning and partial etching of a deposited photoresist layer (54) used for patterning the transparent layer (53).

Abstract: A method of improving the electrical conductivity of transparent conducting lines (32) carried on a substrate (46), particularly address lines on the active plate for a pixellated device such as an active matrix liquid crystal display or the like fabricated using a low mask count process, involves forming the lines on the substrate from a deposited layer of transparent conducting material (53), e.g. ITO, and provided on their upper surface with a covering layer (72′) extending from at least one end (75) and partially covering the surface, and then performing an electroplating operation to plate the lines (80) with a plating potential being applied at that end. The covering layer (72′) assists in achieving a more uniform plated layer (80) along the length of the line. The covering layer preferably comprises photoresist defined by selective patterning and partial etching of a deposited photoresist layer (54) used for patterning the transparent layer (53).