Patent ID: 9384988
Filing Date: 2016-07-05
CPC Classification: H01L

Claim Text:
1. A structure comprising: a substrate; a gate structure over the substrate, the gate structure comprising a gate electrode and a gate dielectric, the gate structure extending laterally a gate lateral distance between a first gate structure outermost sidewall and a second gate structure outermost sidewall; a first spacer along the first gate structure outermost sidewall, the first spacer extending laterally a spacer lateral distance from the first gate structure outermost sidewall to a point of the first spacer furthest from the first gate structure outermost sidewall; a second spacer along the second gate structure outermost sidewall, the second spacer extending laterally the spacer lateral distance from the second gate structure outermost sidewall to a point of the second spacer furthest from the second gate structure outermost sidewall; a first dielectric layer over the substrate, a top surface of the first dielectric layer and a top surface of the gate electrode being co-planar in a first plane, the first spacer being disposed between the first dielectric layer and the gate structure, the second spacer being disposed between the first dielectric layer and the gate structure; and a gate protection cap over the gate electrode, the gate protection cap extending laterally between a first cap sidewall and a second cap sidewall, a first cap portion of the gate protection cap extending directly adjoining the first plane from a midline of the gate structure laterally towards a plane of the first gate structure outermost sidewall and to the first cap sidewall a first cap lateral distance, a second cap portion of the gate protection cap extending directly adjoining the first plane from the midline laterally towards a plane of the second gate structure outermost sidewall and to the second cap sidewall a second cap lateral distance, the first cap lateral distance and the second cap lateral distance being at least half of the gate lateral distance, the first cap lateral distance, the second cap lateral distance, or both being at least the spacer lateral distance plus half of the gate lateral distance.