Contact structures and methods of making the contact structures

An integrated circuit product, comprising:

• a first merged doped source/drain region comprising an upper surface, a first doped region and a second doped region, said first and said second doped regions intersecting one another along an interface within said first merged doped source/drain region;
• an isolation structure positioned adjacent said first doped region;
• a contact structure positioned adjacent said isolation structure, said contact structure comprising a first portion positioned below said upper surface of the first merged doped source/drain region and a second portion positioned above said upper surface of the first merged doped source/drain region, wherein said first portion comprises:
• a first side surface that physically contacts said isolation structure;
• a second side surface the physically contacts said second doped region;
• and
• a bottom surface that physically contacts both said first and said second doped regions;
• and
• wherein at least part of said second portion of said contact structure is positioned vertically above a portion of said isolation structure;
• and
• a layer of insulating material positioned on and in physical contact with a portion of an upper surface of said first portion of said contact structure.

A method, comprising:

• forming a first merged doped source/drain region in a semiconductor material, said first merged doped source/drain region comprising an upper surface and first and second doped regions that intersect one another along an interface within said first merged doped source/drain region;
• forming a layer of insulating material on and in physical contact with said upper surface of said first merged doped source/drain region;
• forming an opening in said layer of insulating material, wherein said opening exposes a portion of an isolation structure located adjacent said first doped region and at least a portion of an upper surface of said first doped region of said first merged doped source/drain region;
• forming a contact trench in said first merged doped source/drain region by:
• performing a first anisotropic etching process to remove at least a first portion of said first doped region;
• and
• performing a second isotropic etching process to remove at least an additional second portion of said first doped region so as to form said contact trench that at least exposes said second doped region positioned under said layer of insulating material;
• and
• forming a contact structure having a first portion positioned within said contact trench below said upper surface of said first merged doped source/drain region and a second portion that extends above said upper surface of said first merged doped source/drain region, wherein said first portion of said contact structure physically engages both said first and said second doped regions.