Patent ID: 7256113

Claim:
A method for fabricating sidewall spacers in the manufacture of an integrated circuit device, comprising: forming a dielectric spacer layer overlying a gate structure formed on a semiconductor substrate; and etching said dielectric spacer layer without the use of a sacrificial forming spacer to form L-shaped spacers for the gate structure, the L-shaped spacers including a horizontal portion having a thickness that varies gradually to provide for an average thickness of the horizontal portion that is 50 to 85 percent of a maximum thickness of the horizontal portion, wherein etching said dielectric spacer layer includes anisotropically etching said dielectric spacer layer to form L-shaped spacers, said L-shaped spacers have vertical portions varying in thickness and horizontal portions varying in thickness, the horizontal portions have bulging profiles varying gradually in thickness from a maximum thickness immediately adjacent the vertical portions to a portion of the L-shaped spacer furthest from the vertical-portion of the L-shaped spacer.