Abstract: Insulated electrodes are formed by first forming on an integrated circuit substrate, an insulating layer, a conductive layer on the insulating layer, and a metal silicide layer on the conductive layer, and then forming a metal silicon nitride layer on the metal silicide layer. The metal silicon nitride layer acts as a silicon protrusion-preventing layer on the metal silicide layer that prevents formation of silicon protrusions from the metal silicide layer during subsequent processing. Reliability and/or yield problems that are caused by undercutting of an insulation layer in an insulated electrode may also be reduced by forming on an integrated circuit substrate, an insulating layer, conductive layer on the insulating layer and a metal silicide layer on the conductive layer.