CONDUCTIVE FEATURES HAVING VARYING RESISTANCE

Methods to form vertically conducting and laterally conducting low-cost resistor structures utilizing dual-resistivity conductive materials are provided. The dual-resistivity conductive materials are deposited in openings in a dielectric layer using a single deposition process step. A high-resistivity β-phase of tungsten is stabilized by pre-treating portions of the dielectric material with impurities. The portions of the dielectric material in which impurities are incorporated encompass regions laterally adjacent to where high-resistivity β-W is desired. During a subsequent tungsten deposition step the impurities may out-diffuse and get incorporated in the tungsten, thereby stabilizing the metal in the high-resistivity β-W phase. The β-W converts to a low-resistivity α-phase of tungsten in the regions not pre-treated with impurities.