A method is provided for fabrication of a semiconductor substrate having regions isolated from each other by shallow trench isolation (STI) structures protruding above a surface of the substrate by a step height. The method includes the steps of forming a bottom antireflective coating (BARC) layer overlying the surface of a semiconductor substrate and the surface of STI structures; etching back a portion of the BARC layer overlying at least one of the STI structures, and partially etching back the at least one of the STI structures, to reduce the step height by which the STI structure protrudes above the surface of the substrate; and removing a remaining portion of the BARC layer between adjacent STI structures. The method may be used to fabricate semiconductor devices including memory cells that have improved reliability.