A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a gate structure, a sidewall spacer, and an epitaxial layer. The gate structure is disposed on the substrate, and the substrate has at least one recess disposed adjacent to the gate structure. The sidewall spacer is disposed on at least two sides of the gate structure. The sidewall spacer includes a first spacer layer and a second spacer layer, and the first spacer layer is disposed between the gate structure and the second spacer layer. The epitaxial layer is disposed in the recess, and the recess is a circular shaped recess. A distance between an upmost part of the recess and the gate structure is less than a width of the sidewall spacer.

An integrated circuit structure include a semiconductor substrate, a gate stack over the semiconductor substrate, and a recess extending into the semiconductor substrate, wherein the recess is adjacent to the gate stack. A silicon germanium region is disposed in the recess, wherein the silicon germanium region has a first p-type impurity concentration. A silicon cap substantially free from germanium is overlying the silicon germanium region. The silicon cap has a second p-type impurity concentration greater than the first p-type impurity concentration.

Vertical field effect transistors (FETs) with minimum pitch and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The structure includes at least one vertical fin structure and gate material contacting with the at least one vertical fin structure. The structure further includes metal material in electrical contact with the ends of the at least one vertical fin.

A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a first gate structure, a first spacer, a source drain structure, a conductor, and a contact etch stop layer. The first gate structure is present on the substrate. The first spacer is present on at least one sidewall of the first gate structure, in which the first spacer has a top portion and a bottom portion between the top portion and the substrate. The source drain structure is present adjacent to the bottom portion of the first spacer. The conductor is electrically connected to the source drain structure. The protection layer is present at least between the conductor and the top portion of the first spacer. The contact etch stop layer is present at least partially between the conductor and the bottom portion of the first spacer while absent between the protection layer and the top portion of the first spacer.

A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a first gate structure, a first spacer, a source drain structure, a first dielectric layer, a conductor, and a protection layer. The first gate structure is present on the substrate. The first spacer is present on a sidewall of the first gate structure. The source drain structure is present adjacent to the first spacer. The first dielectric layer is present on the first gate structure and has an opening therein, in which the source drain structure is exposed through the opening. The conductor is electrically connected to the source drain structure, in which the conductor has an upper portion in the opening of the first dielectric layer and a lower portion between the upper portion and the source drain structure. The protection layer is present between the lower portion and the first spacer and between the upper portion and the source drain structure.

Devices and methods of fabricating integrated circuit devices for forming epi for aggressive gate pitch are provided. One method includes: obtaining an intermediate semiconductor device having a substrate, a fin structure, a plurality of stacks; etching the spacer between the plurality of stacks; growing, epitaxially, undoped silicon on a top surface of the fin structure between the plurality of stacks; depositing a liner over the undoped silicon and the plurality of stacks; etching to remove the liner and narrow the spacers, wherein the etching forms a wider portion of the spacer at the base of the stacks; etching between the plurality of stacks to remove the undoped silicon and form recesses in the fin structure; and growing, epitaxially, doped silicon between the plurality of stacks and in the fin structure. Also disclosed is an intermediate device formed by the method.

An integrated circuit structure includes a gate stack over a semiconductor substrate, and a silicon germanium region extending into the semiconductor substrate and adjacent to the gate stack. The silicon germanium region has a top surface, with a center portion of the top surface recessed from edge portions of the top surface to form a recess. The edge portions are on opposite sides of the center portion.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes forming a first gate stack over a substrate. The first gate stack includes a gate electrode, a first hard mask (HM) disposed over the gate electrode, and sidewall spacers along sidewalls of the first gate stack. The method also includes forming a first dielectric layer over the first gate stack, forming a second HM over the first HM and top surfaces of sidewall spacers, forming a second dielectric layer over the second HM and the first dielectric layer and removing the second and first dielectric layers to form a trench to expose a portion of the substrate while the second HM is disposed over the first gate stack.

Self-aligned contacts are provided. In an embodiment the self-aligned contacts are formed by partially removing a first dielectric material from adjacent to a gate electrode and fully removing a second dielectric material from adjacent to the gate electrode. A conductive material is deposited into the regions of the removed first dielectric material and the second dielectric material, and the conductive material and metal gates are recessed below a spacer. A dielectric layer is deposited over the recessed conductive material and the recessed metal gates, and the self-aligned contacts are formed through the dielectric layer.

A method for forming contacts on a semiconductor device includes forming trenches by etching an etch stop layer formed on an interlayer dielectric and etching the interlayer dielectric to expose source and drain regions between gate structures and depositing conductive material in the trenches and over the etch stop layer to a height above the etch stop layer. A resist is patterned on the conductive material with shapes over selected source and drain regions. The conductive material is subtractively etched to remove the conductive material from over the etch stop layer and to recess the conductive material into the trenches without the shapes to form self-aligned contacts below the shapes and lines in the trenches.