Patent ID: 8421077
Filing Date: 2013-04-16
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A semiconductor structure comprising: a field effect transistor including a gate stack, from bottom to top, of a gate dielectric and a gate conductor, wherein said gate stack is located on a surface of a semiconductor substrate; a dielectric gate spacer located on a side surface of said gate stack, wherein the dielectric gate spacer has a concave upper surface relative to the base of the dielectric gate spacer; a dielectric gate cap located above said gate stack and contacting said concave upper surface of said dielectric gate spacer on the side surface of the gate stack, the dielectric gate cap having a notch portion extending into the sidewall of the dielectric gate cap that is overlying the dielectric gate spacer; and a conductive via structure having a sidewall that contacts said dielectric gate spacer and said dielectric gate cap and including an upper conductive via portion that laterally protrudes into the notch portion of the dielectric gate cap and over a portion of said dielectric gate spacer.