Within a damascene method for forming a patterned conductor layer having formed interposed between its patterns a dielectric layer formed of a comparatively low dielectric constant dielectric material method, there is employed a hard mask layer formed upon the dielectric layer. The hard mask layer is formed employing a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method in turn employing an organosilane carbon and silicon source material, a substrate temperature of from about 200 to about 500 degrees centigrade and a radio frequency power of from about 100 to about 500 watts per square centimeter substrate area. The hard mask layer provides for attenuated abrasive damage to the dielectric layer.