Fabrication of self-aligned gate contacts and source/drain contacts directly above gate electrodes and source/drains

A method of forming a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) device having self-aligned source/drain contacts and gate contacts, comprising:

• forming two or more gate structures on a substrate, wherein each of the two or more gate structures includes a gate dielectric layer, a conductive gate fill, and a work function layer within a gate sidewall spacer, and the gate dielectric layer, conductive gate fill, and work function layer are covered by a gate structure cap;
• forming a plurality of source/drains on the substrate, wherein two of the plurality of source/drains are adjacent to and on opposite sides of each of the two or more gate structures;
• forming a protective layer on the surfaces of the two or more gate structures, plurality of source/drains, and substrate;
• forming an interlayer dielectric layer on the protective layer;
• removing a portion of the interlayer dielectric and protective layer to form a plurality of openings, where each opening exposes at least a portion of one of the plurality of source/drains;
• forming a source/drain contact liner in at least one of the plurality of openings, wherein the protective layer is between the source/drain contact liner and the gate sidewall spacer on one of the two or more gate structures;
• forming a source/drain contact fill on the source/drain contact line;
• removing a portion of the source/drain contact liner and source/drain contact fill formed in each opening to form a trough, and forming a source/drain contact cap in each trough;
• and
• removing the source/drain contact cap to reopen the trough, and forming an inner spacer in the trough.

A method of forming an active device having self-aligned source/drain contacts and gate contacts, comprising:

• forming an active area on a substrate, where the active area includes a device channel;
• forming two or more gate structures on the active area, wherein each gate structure includes a gate dielectric layer between gate sidewall spacers and a conductive gate fill on the gate dielectric layer;
• forming a plurality of source/drains on the active area adjacent to the two or more gate structures, wherein the gate sidewall spacer and gate dielectric layer is disposed between one of the plurality of source/drains and the conductive gate fill of one of the two or more gate structures;
• forming a protective layer on the surfaces of the source/drains, gate sidewall spacers, and active layer;
• forming an interlayer dielectric layer on the protective layer;
• removing a portion of the interlayer dielectric and protective layer on each of the plurality of source/drains to form a plurality of opening;
• forming a source/drain contact liner on each of the plurality of source/drains and a portion of the protective layer;
• forming a source/drain contact fill on the source/drain contact liner;
• removing a portion of the source/drain contact liner and source/drain contact fill formed in each opening to form a trough, and forming a source/drain contact cap in each trough;
• and
• removing the source/drain contact cap to reopen the trough, and forming an inner spacer in the trough.