Structure and method for minimizing substrate effect on nucleation during sputtering of thin film resistors

A method of improving nucleation during depositing of a film ( 2 ) on a surface ( 18 - 3 ) of a wafer, including performing a planarizing operation on the surface ( 18 - 3 ), the planarizing operation resulting in generation of dangling chemical bonding sites on the surface, depositing a dielectric layer ( 18 D) on the planarized surface ( 18 - 3 ) to cover the dangling chemical bonding sites to thereby produce a more uniform surface for nucleation of subsequently deposited resistive film material, and depositing a film ( 2 ) of resistive material on the dielectric layer ( 18 D), whereby more uniform nucleation results in the film ( 2 ) being very uniform. The film of resistive material is deposited on the dielectric layer directly after the depositing of the dielectric layer, without any further treatment of the dielectric layer ( 18 D).