Patent ID: 8178931

Claim:
A semiconductor structure comprising: a transistor comprising a first transistor element and a second transistor element; a contact bridge providing electrical contact between the first transistor element and the second transistor element, the contact bridge comprising: at least first and second metal pillars each having a lower end in electrical contact with the first and second transistor elements, respectively; at least a first intermediate metal pillar being disposed between, and bounded by, the first metal pillar and the second metal pillar; and a first separation region consisting of a single layer of dielectric disposed below the first intermediate metal pillar and between the lower ends of the first and second metal pillars; and wherein: the first metal pillar is oriented above and in contact with the first transistor element; the second metal pillar is oriented above and in contact with the second transistor element; first and second sidewall spacers are disposed on opposite sides of the second transistor element; and the first separation region of a single layer of dielectric isolates the first sidewall spacer from the first intermediate metal pillar, wherein the region bounded by the first sidewall spacer, the first metal pillar, the intermediate metal pillar, and the second metal pillar consists only of the first separation region of a single layer of dielectric.