A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device that is less prone to DC failures brought about by unwanted defects on capacitors in the device is presented. Manufacturing defects such as scratches are known to occur when making capacitors and that these defects are thought to be a primary cause of subsequent performance DC failures in the completed semiconductor devices. The method includes the steps of depositing, removing, forming, polishing, etching and forming. A sacrificial layer is exploited to allow a subsequent polishing down step to mechanically remove defects from the capacitors.