Patent ID: 8664125

Claim:
A method for performing a spacer etch process, comprising: conformally applying a spacer material over a gate structure on a substrate; and performing a spacer etch process sequence to partially remove said spacer material from a capping region of said gate structure and a substrate region on said substrate adjacent a base of said gate structure, while retaining a spacer sidewall positioned along a sidewall of said gate structure, said spacer etch process sequence comprising: oxidizing an exposed surface of said spacer material to form a spacer oxidation layer, performing a first etching process to anisotropically remove said spacer oxidation layer from said spacer material at said substrate region on said substrate and said spacer material at said capping region of said gate structure, while substantially retaining said spacer oxidation layer on said spacer material along said sidewall of said gate structure, and performing a second etching process to selectively remove said spacer material from said substrate region on said substrate and said capping region of said gate structure to leave behind said spacer sidewall on said sidewall of said gate structure.