Patent ID: 8169031

Claim:
A semiconductor structure comprising: at least one field effect transistor located on a surface of a semiconductor substrate, said at least one field effect transistor including at least a gate electrode, a source region and a drain region; a continuous metal semiconductor alloy comprising a metal semiconductor alloy nanowire and including a lower portion that is contained within an upper surface of each of said source and drain regions, and a vertical pillar portion extending upwardly from said lower portion, wherein said lower portion and said vertical pillar portion are of unitary construction containing no material interface therebetween, and wherein said vertical pillar portion of the continuous metal semiconductor alloy does not contact an outer surface of a spacer located on at least a vertical sidewall of said gate electrode and has a lesser width than the lower portion; a dielectric material having an upper surface that extends above an upper most surface of the at least one field effect transistor and is located on said surface of said semiconductor substrate, wherein said dielectric material embeds said vertical pillar portion of said continuous metal semiconductor alloy and wherein a top portion of said vertical pillar portion of said continuous metal semiconductor alloy directly contacts said upper surface of said dielectric material and is exposed; and a metal line located on said top portion of said vertical pillar portion of the continuous metal semiconductor alloy and on said upper surface of said dielectric material.