Ruthenium dioxide films for diffusion barrier layers are deposited by reactive sputtering in oxygen atmospheres at different conditions. Stoichiometric films are deposited at oxygen partial pressures above 4.8 mTorr. When annealing is done for this film, a (101) grain rather than a preferential (110) is grown. Stoichiometric films can be deposited at lower oxygen partial pressures when the deposition is performed at lower power. For this film at lower power, however, (101) grain is preferentially grown with this annealing. A resistivity of 63.5 μ Ω‐cm is obtained at 900°C.