In this paper, a ZnS/Ag/ZnS multilayer system for the transparent electrodes in flat panel displays was designed. The optical and electrical performance of an Ag and ZnS single layer films with nano-dimensions was investigated. The smallest thickness of the continuous single layer Ag film that could be deposited on SiO2 surface by thermal evaporation is approximately 12 nm. The spectroscopic ellipsometry analysis indicated that the interlayer between the Ag and ZnS layer contains a physically mixed layer and a compound semiconductor layer. Based on these studies, according to the characteristic matrix theory, the design for the optimized system was carried out with complete searching strategy. A group of the optimized structures with good selective filtering performance were successfully prepared, including some new extremely asymmetric multilayer structures. These have low sheet resistance of 3 Omega/square and a good spectral selectivity performance with luminous transmittance T-lum approximately 90% and the reflectance near infrared region above 90%. The figure of merit F-TC used for evaluating transparent electrodes reached 7.3 x 10(-2) at 550 nm wavelength. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.