Patent ID: 8558352

Claim:
A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; grooves formed in the semiconductor substrate and defining an active region and a plurality of dummy active regions; first insulating films embedded in the grooves; a plurality of dummy gates formed over the dummy active regions and over the first insulating films; wherein the active region is configured to function as a part of a semiconductor element; wherein the dummy active regions and the dummy gates are configured not to function as the semiconductor element; wherein each planar size of the dummy active regions is the same size, wherein each planar size of the dummy gates is the same size, wherein each of the dummy active regions is arranged with the same pitch, wherein each of the dummy gates is arranged with the same pitch, and wherein, in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, each of the dummy gates is shifted by half of a distance of the pitch of the dummy active regions.