A deep trench (DT) capacitor comprises a trench in a silicon layer, a buried plate surrounding the trench, a dielectric layer lining the trench, and a node conductor in the trench. The top surface of the poly node is higher than the surface of the silicon layer, so that it is high enough to ensure that a nitride liner used as a CMP etch stop for STI oxide surrounding a top portion of the poly node will be higher than the STI oxide, so that the nitride liner can be removed prior to forming a silicide contact on top of the poly node.