The invention discloses a method for manufacturing a tungsten plug. The method comprises the following steps that; a semiconductor substrate having first conductive layers is provided and a metal interlamination dielectric layer is formed on the first conductive layers; dielectric holes are formed in the metal interlamination dielectric layer and the tops of the first conductive layers are exposed at the bottoms of the dielectric holes; barrier layers are deposited at the whole surface of the metal interlamination dielectric layer and the bottoms and the two side wall surfaces of the dielectric holes; metal tungsten is deposited at the whole surfaces of the barriers as well as in the dielectric holes, wherein at least the dielectric holes are filled with the metal tungsten; all metal tungsten, except the metal tungsten in the dielectric holes, is removed by using a xenon difluoride gaseous phase etching method; and all the barrier layers, except the barrier layers in the dielectric holes, are removed by using the xenon difluoride gaseous phase etching method, so that the metal tungsten kept in the dielectric holes forms tungsten plugs. According to the invention, because all the metal tungsten, except the metal tungsten in the dielectric holes, as well as all the barrier layers, except the barrier layers in the dielectric holes, are removed by using the xenon difluoride gaseous phase etching method, no micro scratching on the semiconductor device is caused and no mechanical stress is generated, thereby substantially improved the performance of the semiconductor device and the yield of the semiconductor device.