A damage-robust SrRuO3/IrO2 top electrode FeRAM with Cu BEOL process is demonstrated for the first time as a promising device for 130 nm CMOS embedded non-volatile memory. The ferroelectric capacitor with SrRuO3/IrO2 top electrode has no degradation during Cu metallization to suppress oxygen and lead vacancies at a top electrode interface. Switching charge (Q(sw)) of 40 mu C/cm(2) is achieved for 0.45 x 0.45 mu m(2) top electrode (TE) size capacitor. Ninety percent saturation of Q,, is obtained at 1.1 V that is low enough to drive ferroelectric capacitors at 1.8 V for 130 nm CMOS. Opposite state polarization margin more than 90% is retained against imprint after the high temperature storage at 150 degrees C for 70 h. The combination of this high reliable capacitor with large Q(sw) and Chain FeRAM (TM) architecture with a small bit line capacitance [Ozaki T, Iba J, Yamada Y, Kanaya H, Morimoto T, Hidaka O, et al. In: Symposium on VLSI technologies technical digest; 2001. p. 113] drastically increases signal window for 1T1 C operation. A sharp signal distribution and a large peak-to-peak signal window of 730 mV at 1.8 V on the test device with 0.20 mu m(2) area capacitors using three-level Cu metallization on 32 Mb Chain FeRAM (TM) are obtained. This technology realizes reliable embedded FeRAM of 130 nm generation and beyond. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.