SUPERIOR FILL CONDITIONS IN A REPLACEMENT GATE APPROACH BY CORNER ROUNDING PRIOR TO COMPLETELY REMOVING A PLACEHOLDER MATERIAL

摘要

In a replacement gate approach, a superior cross-sectional shape of the gate opening may be achieved by performing a material erosion process in an intermediate state of removing the placeholder material. Consequently, the remaining portion of the placeholder material may efficiently protect the underlying sensitive materials, such as a high-k dielectric material, when performing the corner rounding process sequence.