Patent ID: 8623735

Claim:
A method, comprising: forming a first conductive structure and a bottom electrode of a capacitor in a first insulating layer, said first conductive structure completely filling a first trench and said bottom electrode completely filling a second trench; forming a non-conductive diffusion barrier layer above said first insulating layer, said non-conductive diffusion barrier layer comprising a first portion that is formed directly on an entire upper surface of said first conductive structure and a second portion that is formed directly on an entire upper surface of said bottom electrode; forming a layer of conductive material above said non-conductive diffusion barrier layer, wherein said layer of conductive material is formed directly on an upper surface of said second portion and a second insulating layer separates said layer of conductive material from said first portion; performing a first etching process on said layer of conductive material to define a conductive material hard mask that is positioned above said second insulating layer and said first portion and a top electrode of said capacitor that is positioned above said bottom electrode, said second portion separating and electrically isolating said top electrode from said bottom electrode; performing a second etching process on said conductive material hard mask to form a hard mask opening; and forming a contact opening in said second insulating layer through said hard mask opening, said contact opening extending through said first portion and exposing said first conductive structure.