An electroactive device comprising: a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer , and electroactive layers sandwiched between the first and second conductive layers, wherein the electroactive device is an electrochromic device, wherein the electroactive layers comprise: a first electrode comprising one of an electrochromic electrode layer and a counter electrode layer; a second electrode comprising the other of the electrochromic electrode layer and the counter electrode layer; and an ion-conductor layer for conducting ions between the first and second electrodes, wherein more than one adjacent layers of the electroactive device are formed on a surface of a substrate, wherein the more than one adjacent layers of the electroactive device comprise a physical separation (P1) between a first portion and a second portion of the more than one adjacent layers, the physical separation defining a respective tapered sidewall of each of the first and second portions, wherein the respective tapered sidewall has an incline of about 45 degrees or less relative to the plane of the substrate, the more than one adjacent layers comprising: one of the first and second conductive layers; and one of the first and second electrodes, and wherein the remaining layers of the electroactive device are formed on the more than one adjacent layers over the physical separation, the remaining layers comprising: the other of the first and second conductive layers; the other of the first and second electrodes; and the ion-conductor layer. a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer , and electroactive layers sandwiched between the first and second conductive layers, wherein the electroactive device is an electrochromic device, wherein the electroactive layers comprise: a first electrode comprising one of an electrochromic electrode layer and a counter electrode layer; a second electrode comprising the other of the electrochromic electrode layer and the counter electrode layer; and an ion-conductor layer for conducting ions between the first and second electrodes, a first electrode comprising one of an electrochromic electrode layer and a counter electrode layer; a second electrode comprising the other of the electrochromic electrode layer and the counter electrode layer; and an ion-conductor layer for conducting ions between the first and second electrodes, wherein more than one adjacent layers of the electroactive device are formed on a surface of a substrate, wherein the more than one adjacent layers of the electroactive device comprise a physical separation (P1) between a first portion and a second portion of the more than one adjacent layers, the physical separation defining a respective tapered sidewall of each of the first and second portions, wherein the respective tapered sidewall has an incline of about 45 degrees or less relative to the plane of the substrate, the more than one adjacent layers comprising: one of the first and second conductive layers; and one of the first and second electrodes, and one of the first and second conductive layers; and one of the first and second electrodes, and wherein the remaining layers of the electroactive device are formed on the more than one adjacent layers over the physical separation, the remaining layers comprising: the other of the first and second conductive layers; the other of the first and second electrodes; and the ion-conductor layer. the other of the first and second conductive layers; the other of the first and second electrodes; and the ion-conductor layer. <EOS>