Patent ID: 8741704

Claim:
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising: providing a gate structure on a channel portion of a semiconductor substrate, wherein the gate structure includes at least one gate dielectric on the channel portion of the semiconductor substrate and at least one gate conductor on the at least one gate dielectric; removing an edge portion of the at least one gate dielectric on each side of the gate structure, wherein the removing of the edge portion of the at least one gate dielectric provides an exposed base edge of the at least one gate conductor and an exposed channel surface of the semiconductor substrate underlying the gate structure; and oxidizing a sidewall of the gate structure, wherein the oxidizing of the sidewall of the gate structure also oxidizes the exposed base edge of the at least one gate conductor and the exposed channel surface of the semiconductor substrate that is underlying the gate structure, wherein said oxidizing creates a recessed portion in a bottommost surface of the exposed base edge of the at least one gate conductor and creates a recessed portion in a topmost surface of the semiconductor substrate that extends into said semiconductor substrate.