Patent ID: 7091567

Claim:
A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate having source/drain regions spaced from each other; a gate pattern disposed on the semiconductor substrate between the source/drain regions, said gate pattern having opposite side walls; L-shaped spacers each including a vertical portion covering a respective one of the side walls of the gate pattern, and a lateral portion extending laterally from the bottom of the vertical portion over a respective one of the source/drain regions, whereby the bottom surface of each L-shaped spacer at the underside of the lateral portion faces the substrate; and support portions interposed between said L-shaped spacers and the gate pattern, said support portions supporting said L-shaped spacers such that the lateral portion of each of the L-shaped spacers is spaced above the source/drain region over which the L-shaped spacer extends, and wherein an air gap exists between the lateral portion of each of the L-shaped spacers and the source/drain region over which the lateral portion extends, the entire bottom surface of the L-shaped spacer being exposed and delimiting the air gap.