SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE COMPRISING SELF-ALIGNED CONTACT ELEMENTS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising:
- forming a contact element laterally adjacent to a gate electrode structure so as to connect to one of a drain region and source region formed in an active region of a semiconductor device, said gate electrode structure comprising a placeholder electrode material covered by a dielectric cap layer; and
replacing said placeholder electrode material at least with a metal-containing electrode material in the presence of said contact element.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
When forming sophisticated semiconductor devices, a replacement gate approach may be applied in combination with a self-aligned contact regime by forming the self-aligned contacts prior to replacing the placeholder material of the gate electrode structures.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method, comprising:
-
forming a contact element laterally adjacent to a gate electrode structure so as to connect to one of a drain region and source region formed in an active region of a semiconductor device, said gate electrode structure comprising a placeholder electrode material covered by a dielectric cap layer; and replacing said placeholder electrode material at least with a metal-containing electrode material in the presence of said contact element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method, comprising:
-
forming a dielectric layer laterally adjacent to a plurality of gate electrode structures formed above an active region of a semiconductor device; forming a contact opening in said dielectric material so as to connect to said active region; forming a contact element in said contact opening; and replacing a placeholder material of said plurality of gate electrode structures at least with a metal-containing electrode material after forming said contact element. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A semiconductor device, comprising:
-
a plurality of gate electrode structures formed on an active region, each of said plurality of gate electrode structures comprising a high-k dielectric material, an electrode metal and a dielectric sidewall spacer structure; a contact element formed laterally between two of said plurality of gate electrode structures in a first dielectric material and connecting to said active region, said contact element being delineated in a length direction by said dielectric spacer structures; and an interconnect structure formed in a second dielectric material above said first dielectric material, said interconnect structure comprising a first interconnect portion connecting to said contact element and comprising a second interconnect portion connecting to at least one of said plurality of gate electrode structures. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
Specification