In this article, the, feasibility of gate patterning for 0.25 mu m technology and below by using a hard. mask has been investigated in terms of polymerization, selectivity to the gate oxide, compatibility with deep ultraviolet lithography, and plasma damage. A 50 nm SiO2 hard mask is thick enough to protect the underlying polysilicon layer without profile distortion at the outermost lines. The use of a SiO2 hard mask also increases the gate oxide selectivity up to 45% as compared to a photoresist mask. The amount of carbon atoms in the etched gate oxide area is much lower for the SiO2 mask process than for the photoresist process. Carbon plays an important role in reducing the gate oxide selectivity and decreasing the oxide reliability. Due to local charging, oxide pitting along the polysilicon lines is much more pronounced when using a photoresist mask, Charging effects caused by electron shading were expected to be lower for the thin SiO2 mask due to the lower aspect ratio; however, from Qbd (charge to ＇breakdown) measurements on overlapping capacitors, no significant difference between the SiO2 and the photoresist mask processes was observed. In the mean time, the 4.5 nm gate oxide was better than the 7 nm gate oxide in terms of oxide degradation by charging. In the regime of gate oxide thickness under 5 nm, physical damage by charging seems to be more of a concern than electrical damage. Consequently, a SiO2 hard mask process can provide clean, highly selective, and less damaged polysilicon gate patterning for 0.25 mu m technology and below.