Methods are provided for forming a device, such as a semiconductor device. A field region and an active region of a substrate are defined in which the field region has an upper surface that extends further away from the substrate and is higher than an upper surface of the active region. A hard mask layer is formed with a substantially planar upper surface on the field region and the active region. The hard mask layer is partially etched to form a hard mask pattern that exposes at least a portion of the active region. The substrate is partially etched in the active region using the hard mask pattern as an etching mask to form a gate trench. A recessed gate electrode if formed on the substrate in the gate trench.