A method of manufacturing a thin film electronic device includes applying a plastic coating to a rigid carrier substrate using a wet casting process, the plastic coating forming a plastic substrate and include a transparent plastic material doped with a UV absorbing additive. Thin film electronic elements are formed over the plastic substrate, and the rigid carrier substrate is released from the plastic substrate. This method forms transparent substrate materials suitable for a laser release process, through doping of the plastic material of the substrate with a UV absorber. This UV absorber absorbs in the wavelength of the lift-off laser (for example 308-351 nm, or 355 nm) with a very high absorption.