We have developed an etch process suitable for high resolution transparent conductive oxide patterning with high etch rates, up to 70 nm/min, and applicability to large area flat panel display substrates. It was found that the addition of small amounts of Cl-2 significantly enhanced the etch rate compared to addition of pure argon but that beyond 25% Cl-2 the rate tended to fall. There is a significant loading effect where the etch rate approximately doubled for exposed tin oxide areas between 80% and 10% of the substrate area. This loading sensitivity was found to increase with increasing power and decreasing Cl-2 concentration. It was also observed that local changes in pattern dimensions affected the uniformity of the etch rate. A large photoresist etch rate was observed between one and three times that of the tin oxide and it decreased as the area of photoresist coverage increased. Linewidth loss, up to 4 mu m at high powers, was overcome using improved ultraviolet exposure, leading to feature resolution capabilities of <5 mu m. Etch rate inhomogeneity was also observed on a local scale, possibly due to redeposition of sputtered photoresist. Overetching, however, ensures rapid clearing of tin oxide islands without damage to the underlying SiO2 buffer layer.