Patent ID: 8450163

Claim:
A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising: forming a mask having a mask opening aligned to a non-transistor structure, said mask covering a gate electrode structure, said gate electrode structure and said non-transistor structure comprising a semiconductor material and being at least laterally embedded in an interlayer dielectric material; exposing an entire upper surface of said semiconductor material in said non-transistor structure in the presence of said mask; removing a first portion of said exposed semiconductor material in said non-transistor structure from said entire upper surface; forming a dielectric material layer above said gate electrode structure and said non-transistor structure after removal of said first portion of said exposed semiconductor material; exposing a surface of said semiconductor material in said gate electrode structure while preserving a portion of said dielectric material layer above said non-transistor structure; and replacing said semiconductor material in said gate electrode structure with at least a metal-containing electrode material while preserving a remaining second portion of said semiconductor material in said non-transistor structure.