New pad structures are suggested to improve the wire bonding strength in the TFT panels suitable for the flat panel X-ray detector application. Several candidates of bonding pad structure are tested and one of them is chosen which shows the strongest and the most stable bonding with aluminum wire. Some morphological consideration was adopted to the surface of AlNd (Nd 2 at.%) pads whose thickness are 4000 A. To avoid the defect of signal lines such as hillocks due to increased thickness of AlNd, we selectively increased the thickness of AINd on the bonding area only. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.