Fabrication steps to improve ion implanted source-drain contacts to hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film transistors (TFT's) have been determined. After establishing a contact performance baseline using devices made with Al/intrinsic a-Si:H contacts, improvements were made to the metal/a-Si:H contact scheme using unheated and heated implants, single- and double-level phosphorous implants, a buffered HF acid dip just prior to metal deposition, Al and Al-Si-Cu metallization schemes, and a post-metallization anneal.