Sidewall free CESL for enlarging ILD gap-fill window

摘要

An integrated circuit structure includes a first gate strip; a gate spacer on a sidewall of the first gate strip; and a contact etch stop layer (CESL) having a bottom portion lower than a top surface of the gate spacer, wherein a portion of a sidewall of the gate spacer has no CESL formed thereon.

主权项

1. An integrated circuit structure comprising:
a first conductive strip; a first spacer on a sidewall of the first conductive strip, the first spacer having a convex outermost sidewall; a second conductive strip; a second spacer on a sidewall of the second conductive strip; a gap between the first spacer and the second spacer; a top contact etch stop layer (CESL) directly over the first conductive strip; a bottom contact etch stop layer (CESL) in the gap and disconnected from the top CESL, wherein a portion of the convex outermost sidewall of the first spacer does not have a CESL formed thereon; and an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) in the gap, the ILD adjoining a sidewall of the bottom CESL between the first spacer and the bottom CESL.