{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9640625","patent":{"patent_number":"US-9640625","title":"Self-aligned gate contact formation","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2014-04-25T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2017-05-02T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L"],"num_claims":14,"abstract":"Provided are approaches for forming gate and source/drain (S/D) contacts. Specifically, a gate contact opening is formed over at least one of a set of gate structures, a set of S/D contact openings is formed over fins of the semiconductor device, and a metal material is deposited over the semiconductor device to form a gate contact within the gate contact opening and a set of S/D contacts within the set of S/D contact openings. In one approach, nitride remains between the gate contact and at least one of the S/D contacts. In another approach, the device includes merged gate and S/D contacts. This approach provides selective etching to partition areas where oxide will be further removed selectively to nitride to create cavities to metallize and create contact to the S/D, while isolation areas between contact areas are enclosed in nitride and do not get removed during the oxide etch."},"analysis":{"summary":null,"layman_explanation":null,"technical_analysis":null,"business_analysis":null,"faqs":null,"topics":[],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"Self-aligned gate contact formation","description":"Provided are approaches for forming gate and source/drain (S/D) contacts. Specifically, a gate contact opening is formed over at least one of a set of gate structures, a set of S/D contact openings is","keywords":[]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9640625","license":"CC-BY-4.0-like","license_terms":"AI-generated analysis on this page (summary, layman_explanation, technical_analysis, business_analysis, faqs) may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL above. Patent abstracts, claims, and bibliographic data are USPTO public domain.","required_link":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9640625","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"Self-aligned gate contact formation\" (US-9640625). https://patentable.app/patents/US-9640625","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9640625","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-9640625","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-06-06T05:37:16.625Z"}