In a method for fabricating a
thin film transistor array substrate, a glass substrate undergoes an
oxygen plasma treatment. A silver or silver
alloy-based conductive layer is deposited onto the substrate, and patterned to thereby form a gate line
assembly proceeding in the horizontal direction. The gate line
assembly includes gate lines, gate electrodes,
and gate pads. Thereafter, a
silicon nitride-based gate insulating layer is deposited onto the substrate, and a
semiconductor layer and an
ohmic contact layer are sequentially formed on the gate insulating layer. The
semiconductor layer and the
ohmic contact layer are HF-treated. A silver
alloy-based conductive layer is deposited onto the substrate, and patterned to thereby form a data line
assembly. The data line assembly includes
data lines crossing over the gate lines, source electrodes, drain electrodes, and data pads. A protective layer based on
silicon nitride or an organic material is deposited onto the substrate, and patterned through
dry etching such that the protective layer bears contact holes exposing the drain electrodes, the gate pads and the data pads, respectively. An
indium zinc oxide or
indium tin oxide-based layer is deposited onto the substrate, and patterned to thereby form pixel electrodes, and subsidiary gate and data pads. The pixel electrodes are electrically connected to the drain electrodes, and the subsidiary gate and data pads to the gate and data pads.