Methods of fabricating liquid crystal display elements and interconnects therefor

A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display element on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

• forming a thin film transistor on the substrate, the thin film transistor including a gate electrode covered by a channel region, and a gate pad of a first metal, conductively connected to the gate electrode;
• forming a pad electrode of a second metal on the substrate, spaced apart from the gate pad;
• exposing a portion of the gate pad and a portion of the pad electrode;
• selectively plating the exposed portion of the gate pad with a third metal to thereby form a conductive barrier layer of the third metal on the gate pad;
• and
• forming a pixel electrode contacting the conductive barrier layer and the exposed portion of the pad electrode to thereby interconnect the gate pad and the pad electrode.

A method of fabricating an interconnection between a first conductive region on a substrate and a second conductive region on the substrate, spaced apart from the first conductive region, the method comprising the steps of:

• selectively electroless plating the first conductive region to thereby form a conductive barrier layer on the first conductive region;
• and
• forming an interconnecting region contacting the conductive barrier layer and the second conductive region to thereby interconnect the first conductive region and the second conductive region;
• wherein the first conductive region comprises a first metal, wherein the second conductive region comprises a second metal, and wherein said step of electroless plating comprises the step of treating the first conductive region and the second conductive region with an electrolyte solution comprising a third metal to thereby form the conductive barrier layer on the first conductive region, wherein the third metal is plated on the first metal at a rate greater than the third metal is plated on the second metal, when treated with the electrolyte solution.

A method for fabricating a liquid crystal display element on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

• forming a thin film transistor on the substrate, the thin film transistor including a gate electrode covered by a channel region and a gate pad conductively connected to the gate electrode;
• exposing a portion of the gate pad;
• selectively plating the exposed portion of the gate pad to thereby form a conductive barrier layer on the exposed portion of the gate pad;
• and
• forming a pixel electrode contacting the conductive barrier layer.