Abstract: A structure including a TiW oxygen plasma mask, a photoresist mask above and in contact with the TiW oxygen plasma mask, a 2000 angstrom thick oxygen plasma vaporizable RuO0.8 electrode layer partially under and in contact with the TiW oxygen plasma mask, the RuO0.8 electrode layer not being completely covered by a pattern of the TiW oxygen plasma mask, a first side of a PZT ferroelectric layer in contact with the RuO0.8 electrode layer and a second RuO0.8 electrode layer in contact with a second side of the PZT ferroelectric layer.

Abstract: A method for forming an RuOx electrode comprising depositing a TiW layer on an RuOx layer, forming a photo-resist mask on the TiW layer, in order to mask the TiW layer into a masked TiW layer, etching the masked TiW layer with a CF4 plasma, a TiW mask being formed on the RuOx layer, the CF4 plasma is not etching the RuOx and vaporizing unmasked RuOx portion of the RuOx layer with an oxygen plasma, the masked RuOx layer being formed into an RuOx electrode.

Abstract: A method of patterning a film of PZT material comprises the steps of providing a mask over a selected surface portion of the PZT material; and, plasma etching unmasked portions of the thin film material. The method includes the steps of: introducing a gas mixture of halogenated gases into a chamber; ionizing the gas mixture into a plasma in the chamber by imposition of an electric field across the introduced gaseous mixture, chemically reacting the ionized gaseous mixture, chemically reacting the unmasked portions of the lead zirconate titanate thin film material to selectively remove such exposed portion of the thin film material. The gas mixture is a mixture of a chloride and a compound of fluorine. Preferably the compound of fluorine is a halocarbon or fluorocarbon. In particular, the fluorocarbon is a trifluoromethane, CHF.sub.3, and the chloride is boron trichloride BCl.sub.3.