Gate protection $SiN_x$ as an alternative to a conventional re-oxidation process in Dynamic Random Access Memory devices is investigated. This process can not only protect the gate electrode tungsten against oxidation, but also save the thermal budget due to the re-oxidation. The protection $SiN_x$ process is applied to the poly-Si gate, and its device performance is measured and compared with the re-oxidation processed poly-Si gate. The results on the gate dielectric integrity show that etch damage-curing capability of protection $SiN_x$ is comparable to the re-oxidation process. In addition, the hot carrier immunity of the $SiN_x$ deposited gate is superior to that of re-oxidation processed gate.