Patent ID: 7557023

Claim:
A semiconductor structure fabrication method, comprising: providing a semiconductor structure which includes (i) a semiconductor layer, (ii) a gate dielectric layer on the semiconductor layer, and (iii) a gate electrode region on the gate dielectric layer, wherein the gate dielectric layer is sandwiched between and electrically insulates the semiconductor layer and the gate electrode region, and wherein the semiconductor layer and the gate dielectric layer share a common interfacing surface which defines a reference direction perpendicular to the common interfacing surface and pointing from the semiconductor layer to the gate dielectric layer; forming a resist layer on the gate dielectric layer and the gate electrode region; and removing a cap portion of the resist layer directly above the gate electrode region in the reference direction without removing any portion of the resist layer not directly above the gate electrode region in the reference direction, wherein, before said removing the cap portion is performed, the resist layer including the cap portion comprises a first material, wherein said removing the cap portion comprises: changing the first material of the cap portion to a second material, and applying an etching process to the resist layer including to the cap portion that etches away the second material but leaves the first material intact resulting in the cap portion which comprises the second material being removed whereas other portions of the resist layer which comprise the first material being essentially intact, wherein said changing the first material of the cap portion to the second material comprises sending protons through the cap portion resulting in the first material of the cap portion becoming the second material, wherein the semiconductor structure further includes a proton-generating region on the gate electrode region such that after said forming the resist layer is performed, the proton-generating region is sandwiched between the gate electrode region and the resist layer, wherein said sending the protons through the cap portion comprises: exposing the proton-generating region to a chemical resulting in free protons being generated in the proton-generating region, and applying an electric field to the free protons resulting in the free protons moving through the cap portion.